Group 1 - The Russian IT labor market is showing signs of cooling for the first time in recent years, with a decrease in job vacancies despite government efforts to promote digitalization and domestic software development [1][2] - In the first half of the year, employers posted approximately 291,000 IT job vacancies, slightly lower than the same period last year, indicating a stagnation in hiring [1][2] - The recruitment platform "Career Port" reported a 32% decrease in IT job postings compared to the first half of 2024, with major companies like MTS and VK reducing job postings by 20% to 60% due to business optimization processes [2][3] Group 2 - The average monthly salary in the IT sector increased by 11.4% in the first half of the year, reaching 96,700 rubles (approximately 8,654 RMB) [2] - Despite the reduction in job vacancies, there remains a shortage of high-quality professionals, with only 2.3 resumes submitted for each senior position, while junior positions face intense competition with over 11 applicants per vacancy [2][3] - The overall number of IT professionals in Russia has grown by 50% over the past five years, reaching 1.08 million, reflecting sustained interest in digital careers and government support [3][4] Group 3 - Many large IT companies in Russia have implemented layoffs, with MTS announcing a 2% reduction in staff by the end of 2024, and other companies like Positive Technologies also experiencing similar trends [4][5] - Companies are focusing on internal transformation and optimizing business processes, leading to a decrease in personnel demand while aiming to improve work quality [4][5] - The AI sector remains stable, with job vacancies in AI-related fields holding steady compared to last year, indicating that AI adoption is a key direction for business optimization [4][5]