Most types of business were negatively affected by the pandemic and quarantine restrictions: some companies had to restructure all their business processes, others temporarily “froze” their operations, and some lost most of their clients. According to Rosstat, the unemployment rate in 2021 is at 4-6%, and almost one in five small and medium-sized companies have closed their doors.
However, some segments have benefited precisely because of the pandemic crisis. They continue to actively expand and hire new employees. Let’s look at where it is most profitable to do business (and look for work) during the crisis.
1 Innovative educational technologies – EdTech.
Last year the Russian market of remote and online education grew by an average of 20-25% and the volume exceeded 50 billion rubles. The biggest beneficiaries of the pandemic were large platforms focused on school education – their revenues more than doubled.
The segment grew not only at the expense of schoolchildren and students. As the pandemic dragged on, many adult professionals decided to get additional education providing online work. During the pandemic, all EdTech platforms noted a sharp increase in the number of adult users taking courses in digital professions.
Professions in demand in the EdTech segment:
- Online educators;
- programmers and testers;
- pedagogical designers;
- developers and curators of educational materials. 2.
- telemedicine
According to BestDoctor, Russians are now 5 times more likely to use remote consultations. In 2020, 5 million Russians used telemedicine services. Remote consultations and diagnostics significantly reduce the need to visit a doctor in person – according to statistics, gynecologists, dentists and psychotherapists have become the most sought-after specialists in remote format.
Some clinics already provide their patients with devices for remote diagnostics. Medical gadgets can be used to take high-resolution pictures, which are necessary for remote consultation on skin diseases, and even to “listen to” the lungs and heart.
In addition to doctors, there is an increased demand in the segment for technical professionals who support the operation of online platforms. Specialists working in telemedicine are:
- programmers;
- analysts;
- designers;
- product managers.
- online sales
The growing popularity of online shopping is a worldwide trend that has continued even after the lockdown was lifted. Companies that didn’t pay enough attention to online sales before the pandemic were forced to switch to the ecommerce format. The impressive results of online sales have convinced business owners that this channel should not be neglected even after the pandemic crisis has passed.
Fly Research has published a list of the most popular products among Russians. In addition to products and necessities, it includes:
- products for needlework;
- Computer equipment;
- kitchen utensils;
- Books and all kinds of board games;
- air purifiers.
The leader in online sales continues to be food and grocery delivery. The number of orders in the respective online services has increased tenfold. The champion in 2020 was the Yandex Lavka platform: the number of orders there increased 47.5 times.
According to ANCOR, Russian retail is growing at the expense of online sales: 21% of companies are actively hiring new employees. The following professions are in demand:
- Web developers;
- SMM specialists;
- Internet marketers and copywriters;
- online merchandisers;
- logistics and fullfilment managers;
- specialists in distribution.
- FoodTech platforms and technologies
While Europeans are saving on food delivery (Reuters reports that Just Eat and Uber Eats in Europe have noted a steady decline in the number of orders), Russians are increasingly using the services of Yandex Food and other similar services. According to Delivery Club, not only the number of orders is increasing, but also the number of restaurants willing to provide their services. In addition, there is a growing segment of orders for ready-to-eat healthy foods: in the face of the pandemic, people are trying to take care of their health.
Total growth in the delivery segment during the pandemic exceeded 24%. Even more impressive growth is observed in the technological sector of foodtech – the value of shares of companies specializing in the development and production of alternative and HGH foods is rapidly increasing. For example, shares of Beyond Meat, a U.S. plant-based meat developer, are up 49%.
The foodtech sector is always in need of food production technologists, and specialists in alternative protein sources are especially in demand. The delivery segment is always in need of couriers. In addition, the field as a whole needs the following professionals:
- product managers;
- chefs;
- nutritionists;
- IT developers;
- Internet marketing specialists.
- Streaming services
The increase in the number of subscribers to online streaming services is another global trend. The online cinema segment in Russia showed growth of 66%, with ivi becoming the leader. Among foreign platforms, Netflix and Disney+ are the leaders. According to analysts from TMT Consulting, streaming services in Russia will continue to grow – by the end of 2021 the market will increase by 42%.
Many streaming services now offer not only entertainment content – music, podcasts, series and movies – but also educational content. Multimedia content subscription companies are expanding and recruiting. They need:
- programmers and testers;
- support specialists;
- product managers and analysts;
- designers;
- creative producers;
- media content editors;
- Internet marketing specialists;
- data scientists.