January 20, 2026
As a Frontend Developer, I’ve never seen the Russian job market like this.
When I was job hunting in late 2023, recruiters would complain about 300–500 applicants per opening.
That was competitive — but it still felt manageable.
Fast forward to 2026: I’m seeing mid-level frontend roles in Moscow pull in thousands of applications almost immediately after being published. In one posting I saw today, the counter was nearing 6,000 applications within hours.
That’s not “a bit more competitive.” That’s a market that’s heavily oversaturated.
What it looks like from the candidate side:
- too many applicants competing for the same roles
- salaries that don’t really move (or even go down)
- fewer truly strong opportunities, especially for mid-level positions
- more noise in hiring pipelines, making it harder for good engineers to be noticed
I’m curious how others see it.
What do you think happens next to the Russian IT industry — and to hiring in 2026?
Will the market stabilize, or are we heading into a longer period of stagnation and consolidation?