IT market of Belarus

Main article: Information technologies in Belarus

2024

The number of IT specialists in Belarus began to grow for the first time in 1.5 years

In August 2024, it became known that the number of IT specialists in Belarus began to grow for the first time in the last year and a half. According to Belstat, in May 2024, more than 60 thousand working specialists were registered in the information technology and communications sector, which indicates the cessation of a long-term decline in the number of employees in this area.

The trend towards an increase in the number of IT professionals was made possible by a slowdown in the outflow of personnel, a simultaneous increase in hiring and a decrease in the number of layoffs. If in January-May 2023 IT and communications companies hired more than 4.5 thousand employees, then in the same period in 2024 this number increased to almost 5.7 thousand, which is an increase of 25%. At the same time, the number of dismissed decreased by a third, from 8.5 thousand to 5.7 thousand people.

Among IT specialists in Belarus, there is an increase in the share of highly paid workers. In particular, the number of employees with a salary of 3 thousand to 5 thousand rubles increased by 22% over the past year and reached 12.6 thousand people. The increase in the number of specialists with a salary of more than 10 thousand rubles turned out to be especially significant: in May 2024, there were 7.3 thousand such workers, which is 11% more than in 2023.

Experts attribute the growth of highly paid specialists to several factors, including an increase in the dollar against the Belarusian ruble, which contributed to an increase in nominal salaries in local currency. The situation was also influenced by the influx of Russian companies into the Belarusian market, which actively compete for qualified IT specialists, offering them attractive working conditions.

In addition, the reduction in the number of employees with low salaries to 1 thousand rubles also indicates positive changes in the sector. In May 2024, there were about 2.8 thousand such employees, which is 43% less than in 2023. ^[1]]

Why Russian IT companies are increasingly opening offices in Belarus

Russian IT companies are increasingly opening offices in Belarus - primarily in Minsk. The volume of free space in the Belarusian capital during 2023 decreased from 20% to 12%. This is stated in the study, the results of which were released in mid-April 2024.

Offices in Belarus are created by Russian technology companies, government agencies and financial organizations. So, on April 15, 2024, Tinkoff announced the formation of a head IT hub in Minsk. For this, an area of ​ ​ about 10 thousand square meters was rented in a business complex located in the center of Minsk. The project of the Tinkoff group has become one of the largest transactions in the office real estate market of the Belarusian capital in several years (by April 2024).

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Office space in Belarus, according to the Kommersant newspaper, is in demand among Russian IT companies for several reasons. Before the start of a special operation in Ukraine, Minsk was a convenient starting point for specialists who wanted to cooperate with foreign companies. In the current geopolitical situation, corporations began to gradually leave Belarus and take out employees, and the workers remaining in this country work mainly for Russian companies.

IT specialists who moved to Minsk say that working from the Belarusian capital is more profitable than from Moscow. The fact is that prices in Minsk are lower even in the most prestigious residential complexes or districts, while salaries are on average comparable to Moscow's.

It makes sense to look for specialists in Belarus for Russian projects, because the situation in the Russian Federation is also ambiguous. Many have left, and not everyone can work in a remote format, because a number of companies have appropriate restrictions, "emphasizes Roman Dimenko, director of Spb-Dev.[2]

2023: More specialists were laid off in the Belarusian ICT market in a year than hired

In 2023, the number of layoffs in the Belarusian information and communication technologies (ICT) market exceeded the number of specialists hired. According to data published by the National Statistical Committee of Belarus in the winter of 2024, during January - December 2023, 18,024 people were dismissed in the "information and communications" sector, while only 11,096 specialists were employed. The difference was almost 7 thousand people, which indicates serious personnel changes in the country's ICT sector.

According to "Нормативка.by," the peak of layoffs in the sector fell in the spring of 2023. In March and April 2023 alone, companies working in the field of information technology and communications reduced more than 2.5 thousand employees. The reason for the sharp increase in layoffs was the withdrawal from the Belarusian market of large international companies such as Playtika and Apalon. The closure of the offices of these mobile developers had a significant impact on the overall statistics of the cuts.

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Despite the difficult situation with layoffs in the first half of 2023, starting in May and June, there was a trend towards a decrease in layoffs in the market. According to Belstat, the number of cuts during this period decreased, and the market began to stabilize. Nevertheless, at the end of 2023, the situation remains tense: there are still more dismissed specialists than those hired.

Against the background of the general decline in the sector, information and communications, other key sectors of the economy Belarus also showed an excess of the number of layoffs over the number of employees hired. In the manufacturing industry, 113,187 people were hired in 2023, and 119,238 were fired; in the field of trade and repair - 97,577 were employed, and 107,997 were laid off; in - education accepted 93,690, and dismissed 101,624. In health care, construction and other sectors, a similar situation was also recorded.

However, not all industries have shown such an imbalance. For example, in professional, scientific and technical activities, the number of employed people exceeded the number of dismissed. For 2023, 15,197 people were hired in these sectors, and 14,395 were fired.^[3]

2022: The number of IT specialists in Belarus for the year decreased by 2.2 thousand people

In 2022, approximately 137.9 thousand employees worked in the IT sector and the telecommunications sector of Belarus. Such data in early September 2023 was published by the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Belstat).

In February 2023, Belstat published preliminary information on the number of IT specialists: it was said that by the end of 2022 their number was 105.8 thousand people. This is about 2.2 thousand less compared to the figure for 2021. However, the value is not given in the final results. Belstat also stopped publishing information on the average number of employees in the IT sector: this is the number of people who worked under an employment contract (contract) and performed permanent or temporary work one day or more. In December 2022, there were 41.9 thousand such employees in Belarus - this is 10 thousand less compared to the last month of 2021.

Since January 2023, Belstat has stopped publishing information on the dynamics of dismissed and accepted specialists in IT companies. Only data on dismissed and hired employees in the "information and communication" sector remained in the public domain. According to the dev.by resource, in the period from January to July 2023, IT companies fired about 10 thousand specialists. This is almost half as much as in the same period in 2022. At the same time, more than 5 thousand new employees were hired in the IT sector in the first seven months of 2023 - 35% less than in January-July 2022.

Belstat notes that 7368 organizations operate in the country's digital economy at the end of 2022. Of these, 5437 enterprises are in the ICT sector, 969 companies in the field of digital trade, 962 in the content and media segment.^[4]

2020

12 Belarusian IT companies move business to Latvia after political persecution

12 Belarusian IT companies decided to move their business to Latvia after political persecution. The Minister of Economy of the Republic Janis Withenbergs told reporters about this on September 15, 2020.^[5]

We recognize that it is now problematic for these companies to obtain the necessary certificates in state institutions of Belarus, therefore, we work with each company individually, listen to requests and, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, promptly resolve issues related to the preparation of the necessary documents. 12 companies expressed a desire to move to Latvia, "he said.

According to the Latvian Ministry of Economy, recently the agency has provided "in-depth consultations" to 116 Belarusian companies, in which more than four thousand people work, and individuals. 30 enterprises from the list represent the IT sector, 25 - various production.

12 Beloursk IT companies moved business to Latvia after political persecution

A special team has been created, in which representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Latvian Agency for Investment and Development (LAIR) and other departments work in order to quickly consider applications from Belarusian business and offer a solution to problems.

Withenbergs said that in parallel, work is underway with Latvian financial institutions to find a compromise and create a "green corridor" for foreign companies to enter Latvia.

The IT industry of the Belarusian economy was during the political crisis in the country mainly on the side of opponents of the current government, which responds with pressure. After the establishment of criminal cases against many employees, after searches in the Belarusian Yandex and several other IT companies, they evacuated their employees from the country or began this process.

Companies whose names are not disclosed intend to transfer about 470 employees to Latvia, mainly top managers and leading specialists. This was reported by the Latvian Ministry of Economy.^[6]

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2010:24% increase in printing device shipments, 53% increase in PCs

According to IDC, in 2010, deliveries of printing devices (printers, MFPs and copiers of A4 and A3 formats) in Belarus increased by 24%, to 158 thousand units, and PCs - by 53%, to 349 thousand units, including desktops, laptops and x86 servers.

At the same time, the desktop computer market reached 177 thousand units, which corresponds to an increase of 18.5%, and portable computers - 167.7 thousand (an increase of 123.3%).

More than 80% of the Belarusian laptop market is controlled by five manufacturers: ASUS, HP, Acer, Samsung and Lenovo.

As for the prospects, many experts believe that due to the currency crisis in Belarus, the future of the country's IT market does not seem bright. Many sellers believe that there will be a steady decline in demand for their products, therefore sales will fall. In this situation, further activation of "gray" suppliers of computer equipment is expected^[7]