November 16, 2020

For the Sake of Russia, You're Fired!


For the Sake of Russia, You're Fired!
Can firing workers really help GDP growth? Image by Ilmicrofono Oggiono via Flickr

GDP is a general measure of a company's economic development. Now a Russian non-profit economic organization has released suggestions for how to grow Russia's GDP: fire ineffective workers.

Experts at the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-term Forecasting (CMASF)  said that authorities should not prevent such a large-scale firing, and that laws need to be corrected to allow it. According to their experts’ analysis, Russia’s labor productivity needs to grow annually by 4-4.5% in order to reach the government’s goal of 3-3.5% GDP growth per year. Without laying off ineffective workers, these markers will be difficult to achieve, according to CMASF.

There is skepticism whether a large increase in unemployment would actually be beneficial for Russia’s GDP long term. As one news source put it, in real life, it’s rare that the sheep are safe and the wolves are fed. However, experts at CMASF say that if this massive layoff doesn’t happen, the Russian economy will lag behind developed countries by a factor of 2.5 and behind some developing countries by a factor of 1.5.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955