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Russia Cuts Quotas for Foreign Employees by Quarter

The quota for foreign workers in Russia in 2016 is set at almost 214,000 people, which is 22.4 percent less than this year, according to a government decree published on the official website Wednesday.

According to estimates by a Labor and Employment Ministry commission, the demand for foreign workers in Russia has fallen by more than 20 percent to 214,000 people, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday. Skilled professionals account for 94.7 percent of the required number, the decree said.

According to the government, the establish quota will allow employers to hire skilled foreign workers to carry out investment projects, including the design and construction of the facilities for the 2018 World Cup.

Last month, Labor Minister Maxim Topilin said Russia would sharply reduce the number of quotas for Turkish workers, the TASS news agency reported. In 2015, 67,000 Russian work permits were issued for Turkish citizens.

The move comes as the Kremlin imposes a package of economic sanctions against the country over the downing of a Russian warplane.

From Jan. 1, Russian employers, within an exception of certain companies approved by the government, are banned from hiring Turkish nationals.

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