Tension in Regional Labor Markets in Russia: Dynamics in New Economic Conditions

Abstract

The relevance of the research is due to the fact that in modern economic conditions in the regional labor markets of Russia, unique problems arise that require solutions aimed at improving the effectiveness of state employment policy measures. The purpose of the work is to diagnose trends in the dynamics of tension in the labor markets of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the identification of which makes it possible to substantiate the directions for improving the state employment policy in the new economic conditions. Since the labor markets of the Russian regions are differentiated, in order to achieve this goal, there is an objective need for regional clusterization based on the following indicators that characterize labor market tension: employment and unemployment levels, tension coefficient, wage growth rates and labor productivity. The paper identifies four clusters and shows trends in the movement of regions between them in the period 2016–2023. The study proved that the cluster 2 model, which is characterized by high growth rates of wages and labor productivity, but at the same time lower indicators reflecting the state of regional labor markets, can be considered the most widespread in the Russian Federation during the period under review. A positive trend has been established to reduce the number of regions in cluster 4, which is characterized by high rates of unemployment and labor market tension, as well as low, though not minimal, wage and labor productivity growth rates. The use of the clustering method made it possible to group regions with the same type of labor market problems and establish the directions of a differentiated state employment policy that takes into account the specifics of each of the identified clusters.