St. Petersburg is actively addressing a personnel shortage in its industries by increasing vocational education opportunities and implementing programs to attract and retain workers. The city is also supporting veterans, fostering industrial growth, and improving infrastructure. These initiatives aim to bolster the city’s economy and improve the quality of life for its residents.
The city faces a shortage of approximately 10,000 workers in the industrial sector. To address this, St. Petersburg is significantly increasing the number of budget-funded places in industrial programs at its colleges, aiming to more than triple the number from 1,800 to 5,500 in two years. Additionally, the “Petersburg Factory” digital platform connects job seekers with industrial enterprises, simplifying the employment process. Subsidies are available for retraining personnel, and companies can be reimbursed for the costs of maintaining their own training centers.
Industrial production in St. Petersburg continues to grow, with the Industrial Production Index (IPI) reaching 108% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. The city is adapting its budget to support production by reallocating funds to high-demand subsidies. A new program will subsidize up to 80% of the costs of purchasing robots, and the Industrial Development Fund offers preferential loans for robotization projects. New enterprises, such as a turbine plant by Rosatom and a steel production furnace at the Izhorskiye Zavody, are also contributing to industrial growth. The focus is on developing pharmaceuticals, new materials, the aviation industry, radio electronics, and biotechnology.
The city is committed to employing all veterans and participants of the Special Military Operation (SVO). Veterans have the right to continue working at their former workplaces and receive free retraining in any specialty.
Significant infrastructure improvements are underway, including the renovation of metro stations and the expansion of tram and bus networks. The city is also purchasing over a hundred electric buses as part of a low-carbon initiative. Plans are in place to launch diameter lines (city electric trains) by 2030 and an electric train from the Baltic Railway Station to Pulkovo Airport. The creation of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) line is also a priority, with St. Petersburg fulfilling its obligations under the Concession Agreement.
St. Petersburg is taking measures to address issues related to street commerce and problematic bars. The city has removed kiosks from the streets due to resident complaints and is restricting street vending in popular areas for security reasons. A new law aims to combat “nalivaiki” by stipulating that restaurants must be at least 50 square meters in size to sell alcohol at night.