PM: Fight against poverty remains government’s top priority

MOSCOW, Jul 22 (PRIME) -- The fight against poverty remains a top priority for the Russian government, while the measures taken to support citizens during the coronavirus pandemic can be considered unprecedented, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Wednesday at the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house.

“Although global challenges have created many risks for the country’s economy as a whole, the fight against poverty is still of paramount importance for the government. This issue is under the special control of the president and us,” he said.

Mishustin said the number of officially registered unemployed in Russia jumped 3.5 times since the beginning of April.

“The coronavirus has dramatically changed the labor market. Since April 1, the number of unemployed officially registered with the employment services has increased three and a half times. Now there are about 3 million people,” Mishustin said.

The government has extended benefit payments to those who lost their jobs before the spread of coronavirus for three months, he added.

“We helped people who lost their jobs after March 1 to the maximum extent possible, including increasing the unemployment benefit. This is over 1 million people,” Mishustin said.

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