MOSCOW, December 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's population has dwindled by 207,600 (0.15%) to 142 million as of November 1, 2007 against earlier this year, the country's statistics service said on Saturday.

The decrease resulted from natural wastage and compared to 2006 is slightly less.

An influx of migrants compensated for the population loss: the number of migrants increased 87.9% against early 2007, with the bulk of all migrants coming from former Soviet republics.

In late November 2007 there were 75.1 million people capable of working in Russia or 53% of the country's entire population. Unemployment in Russia stood at 1.5 million in late November.

In the first eleven months of 2007 real incomes grew 10.1% year on year, with 10% of the wealthiest people accounting for 30.4% of all incomes.

Producers of fuel and minerals and those working in the banking and financial sectors were the highest paid in comparison with those working in the agriculture sector.

The minimum subsistence level stood at 3,800 rubles ($155) in the country in the second quarter of 2007. A total of 22.3 million people (15.8% of the population) earned less than the figure.

The UN has suggested that Russia's population of 142 million could shrink by a third by 2050.

In his state of the nation address to parliament in May, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced initiatives to improve demography in the country. Among other things, he ordered maternity allowances to be increased and additional benefits paid for a second child. Putin also urged the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and family values on television and to set up a federal children's channel.