Salary debts grow in Murmansk
Employers in the Russian Arctic region owe their employees almost 180 million rubles.
According to preliminary figures from Murmanskstat, the regional office of the Russian statistical service, the total overdue wage debt in the region by May 1st reached 178 million rubles (€3 million).
The sum is several times higher than in most other Russian regions. As a comparison, in the neighbouring Republic of Karelia, unpaid wages totaled 47.2 million rubles. In Arkhangelsk Oblast, they totaled 68.2 million rubles, and in the Komi Republic, only 4.2 million roubles, according to new statistics.
To make things worse, the salary level in the Russian north in 2014 declined, the first drop since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. According to Patchwork Barents, the regional data portal, the average monthly salary in Murmansk Oblast declined from $1,263 to $1,117 in 2014. In general, each citizen in the region earned approximately $13,402 last year, which is $1,762 lower than in 2013.
Meanwhile, the consumer price growth in Murmansk has noticeably stabilized over the last three months after a sharp increase late 2014 and early 2015. While in January the consumer price growth in the region peaked at 4.3 percent, it in February dropped to 2 percent and further to 0.7 in April.
This story is produced in cooperation with Patchwork Barents
