Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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Capital experts Department of Information Technology presented the results annual research, dedicated to trends in the Moscow labor market in the field of information and communications technology (ICT) by the end of 2025.
Analysts note a diminishing need for mass hiring and increased competition for jobs. Retaining current employees with the necessary skills is increasingly being prioritized over recruiting new personnel. At the same time, candidate requirements are changing: companies are shifting their focus from employees with a narrow set of competencies to specialists who can combine skills from various professional fields. The primary competitive advantage is now determined not so much by knowledge of the necessary tools as by the ability to quickly master new technologies and effectively apply them in their work.
"In 2025, the Russian ICT labor market has evolved from active hiring and growth to a stage of maturity: companies are abandoning mass recruitment efforts, focusing on highly qualified experts with hybrid competencies. Not just professionals with purely technical skills are becoming valuable, but employees who combine knowledge of IT architecture, product management, and an understanding of business processes. This transformation is accelerated by the influence of artificial intelligence, which, contrary to the fears of many specialists, does not take away jobs but rather changes the very nature of work. Competition for talent has shifted from quantity to quality," said Mariam Arevadze, Head of the Analytical Department of the Moscow Department of Information Technology.
Generalists needed
The Moscow labor market is gradually shifting to a new model of demand for specialists. Managers are emphasizing a broad range of competencies and the ability to work across disciplines. This is evidenced by the growing number of vacancies with combined requirements, where, for example, a systems analyst is expected to possess not only classic requirements gathering and analysis skills, but also interface design, SQL query writing, and business process modeling skills.
A candidate's success now depends on a commitment to continuous learning and the ability to effectively solve complex problems in a rapidly changing environment. This trend is reflected in educational programs: online courses are now increasingly focused on training versatile specialists capable of covering a full range of tasks traditionally distributed among different roles.
"These trends are consistent with global ones. In the future, success will require a flexible career: skills at the intersection of IT, business, and even hobbies, along with the constant mastery of new tools, will be key. In an era of rapid change, a single professional path is not enough—a variety of competencies will be needed to remain in demand at any stage of your career," noted Mariam Arevadze.
Knowing how to work with AI has become a necessary skill.
Artificial intelligence, one of the trends of 2025, has ceased to be a separate specialization and has become a cross-cutting skill in demand across a wide range of fields. However, it is reflected in the labor market in two main ways.
Firstly, there's growing demand for employees who develop artificial intelligence (AI), develop models, maintain their performance, and implement training. Secondly, employees and managers are using AI agents and models in their work to improve efficiency, with the ability to use neural networks becoming comparable to mastering office suites.
Employers are actively including artificial intelligence competencies in their list of essential skills. The top five positions by number of such vacancies by the end of 2025 include developer, sales manager (selling AI agents and AI services), data analyst, information security specialist, and project manager.
Who do employers need?
Today, companies are increasingly targeting highly qualified employees. As of the end of last year, most job postings required three to six years of experience (44 percent) and more than six years (9 percent).
The most in-demand positions in the ICT sector are project managers, product managers, systems administrators, systems analysts, and technical support specialists. Programmers and developers remain a large category in the ICT sector. In 2025, such positions accounted for an average of one-fifth of all job postings. However, this segment has seen the most significant decline in the average number of vacancies.
In-demand specialists include 1C, Python, and C programmers, as well as front-end and back-end developers. Companies are actively seeking those who specialize in the domestic technology stack—1C programmers have topped the rankings for the third year in a row. Linux developers are leading in salary growth. The hardware market structure is concentrated around high-tech segments: almost half of the vacancies are in microelectronics, and another 11 percent are in space instrumentation.
Demand for ICT specialists is concentrated not only in specialized organizations but also in companies from other sectors implementing digital technologies. The ICT and financial sectors maintain absolute leadership, together accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total market.
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Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.