Ingushetia is the leader in Russia in terms of unemployment – more than a quarter (25.4%) of the working population of the republic officially do not have a job, according to a recent report by Rosstat. Unemployment in Ingushetia is more than 12 times higher than the national average (2.3%). In quantitative terms, the largest number of unemployed is in Dagestan, where 168 thousand people out of 1.5 million do not have a job. The unemployment rate here is 11%, and Dagestan ranks second among the outsider regions, second only to Ingushetia.
Why is this happening? Why are Moscow and local authorities not doing anything sincerely to fix the situation?
Unemployment in Ingushetia (25.4%), 12 times higher than the national average, is not just statistics, but the result of Russia’s long-standing imperial policy. It is aimed at suppressing the region’s economic independence, which inevitably leads to bureaucratic stagnation and ignoring the real needs of the local population.
We highlight three key reasons:
1. Economic dependence as an instrument of control.
Moscow is turning the North Caucasus into a subsidy enclave, where financial aid is used to maintain the loyalty of local elites rather than to develop the region. Instead of investing in small and medium businesses, infrastructure, and local initiatives, the federal centre is keeping the regions in a state of dependence, demanding gratitude in return.
2. Corruption and clannishness.
Even those who would like to change the situation become hostages of a system that encourages protectionism and nepotism. Jobs are distributed based on family ties, not professional qualities. This creates a “ceiling of opportunities” for young and active people, depriving them of a chance for self-realization.
3. Special demography of the region.
High birth rates and a significant share of the youth population structure require an unconventional approach to economic development. However, a weak economic model copied from other regions of Russia is unable to cope with such challenges, which leads to chronic unemployment.
Why is it impossible to solve the problem while Ingushetia is part of Russia?
1. Moscow is not interested in independent regions.
Economic independence will weaken the control of the federal centre, which is contrary to the strategy of centralized control.
2. Corruption vertical.
The system of governance through a narrow circle of loyal elites allows Moscow to maintain control while ignoring the interests of the majority of the population.
3. Manipulation of dependence.
High unemployment is used as a pretext to demonstrate Moscow’s role as a “saviour” supporting the region through subsidies rather than through real development.
You have to be a professional optimist to hope for an improvement in the economic situation under such circumstances.
