Transformation of the labor market and employment in conditions of personnel shortage
Authors:   Federal Research Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Andreyanova Elena L. 
Published: November 2024

The conducted study concludes the following. (1) The labor market of modern Russia is experiencing an active development of flexible forms of employment, which are reflected in the socio-economic processes of the regions and the legal framework of the Russian Federation. The law On Employment in the Russian Federation defines the legal field for phenomena and concepts previously not included in it (selfemployment, platform employment, etc.). Thus, the labor market and government labor services indicate the development of alternative, flexible employment of the population. This makes it possible to legalize labor activities of a number of categories of the population, in particular those working on digital platforms and creating their own workplaces. (2) Trends in regional demographic indicators determine the scale of employment and the specifics of personnel shortages in times during the period of personnel shortage. Today, much attention is paid to such socio-demographic groups as young people and the older generation. According to the UN, aging is becoming one of the most significant transformations of the 21st century. The author’s position is to continue to identify socio-demographic groups of the country’s population that are capable of making up for the decline in labor force. (3) The implementation of the concept of a flexible labor market requires expanding the provision of flexible labor regimes to the population. The basis for this concept, which has been studied since the 1970s, is the transition to more flexible, functionally individualized and non-standard forms of employment. The main advantage of such a labor market is the ability to adequately respond to changes in prices, demand and supply of labor resources and create the required quantity, quality and price of labor. (4) An effective measure to solve the personnel shortage is economic incentives and social conditions that can attract and retain qualified workers. In industrially advanced sectors that meet the tasks of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, the combination “high-tech equipment = highly qualified personnel” is more necessary, which will help ensure the scientific and technological development of Russian regions. While the service sector is the most flexible to the norms of a flexible labor market due to its labor-intensive nature, it largely depends on the application of management methods, quality optimization, organizational issues, and socio-psychological stimulation. (5) A systematic monitoring of the labor market is required at a regional and sectoral level. The analysis showed that, despite the general trends in the transformation of the labor market and employment in the Russian Federation, there are differences in territorial manifestations and areas of economic activities. The findings of the work may be useful to scientists, specialists, and politicians studying the problems of the labor market and employment in conditions of personnel shortages.