May 31 (Reuters) - Russia's unemployment rate dropped to a record low 3.3% in April, data showed on Wednesday, highlighting the labour shortage that is stifling economic growth, while other indicators painted a mixed picture. Retail sales, a key gauge of consumer demand, fell 0.1% compared with March and industrial output dropped 5.0%. Excluding seasonal factors, economic growth slowed to 0.2% in April, the ministry said. Russia's market has changed drastically since the sanctions war began, Tsukhlo said, with mass-market and expensive brands alike leaving the country. "(They) could have been replaced by Russian light industry products, but there is no one there to produce them," he said.

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Persons: Sergei Tsukhlo, Tsukhlo, Alexander Marrow, Darya, Alison Williams Organizations: Russia's Gaidar, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian