10,000 foreign workers will get their visas and come to Sverdlovsk Region to work in 2007. This is the number determined at the sitting of Sverdlovsk Region Government Interdepartmental Committee for Foreign Workforce Issues headed by First Deputy Head of Cabinet Galina Kovaleva, reported the spokesperson for the Governor today.

The figure was set at 8,000 for 2006, yet the region will need more workers next year due to a number of factors. Firstly, the regional population of working age is continually decreasing, secondly, the growth of the gross regional product leads to a greater demand for labour resources. There are 6,000 foreign workers with visas currently employed by the regional businesses. Added to this are those (uncounted) workers who came without a visa from countries where you don’t need one to enter Russia.

The proposal for an increased number of foreign workers to be employed in 2007 is to be transferred to Russian Federation Ministry for Health and Welfare in order to be examined at confirmed if found satisfactory.