Russian Official Proposes Allowing 12-Year-Olds to Work Amid Labor Shortages

MOSCOW — Russia's children's rights commissioner, Olga Yaroslavskaya, has proposed allowing 12-year-olds to work as a potential solution to labor shortages linked to the conflict in Ukraine. Yaroslavskaya suggested reopening Soviet-era child labor camps and said young people could earn money through part-time work during summer breaks. Russian labor law currently permits children to work at age 14 with parental permission and independently at age 15. Economists have warned that labor shortages could further strain Russia's economy. President Vladimir Putin has claimed the country's unemployment rate stands at a historic low of 2 percent, but the shrinking workforce is forcing employers to raise wages and drive up costs. No further details on the proposal's prospects were immediately available.