The regional allocation of labor resources in the context of economic restructuring and renewal: using a case from Russia

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the influence of the state policy of economic restructuring and renewal on the allocation of labor resources in regions and cities of the country. The state policy has an impact on the allocation of labor resources, but causes, at times, conflicting effects. This is especially true during the economic restructuring and renewal period. As a scientific and methodological basis, the analysis of the economic structure and the four-factor shift-share analysis, adapted by the authors in earlier works, were used. The use of statistical data of 98 cities in five federal districts of Russia in 2009–2015 allowed the authors to reveal the ambiguous influence of the state policy of economic restructuring and renewal on the allocation of labor resources by regions and cities of the country. It has been confirmed that the restructuring and renewal policy of the Russian economy, as well as in other countries, is accompanied by changes in the allocation of labor resources. As a positive effect, it can be noted that economic restructuring and renewal contribute to a balance in the spatial allocation of labor resources. As negative effects of economic restructuring and renewal, the authors of the article note the inertial nature of the economic structure (the extractive sector retains a leading position in terms of employment indicators) and a reduction in the labor potential of peripheral cities, which does not correspond to the stated goals of the economic restructuring and renewal policy. It is shown that the city authorities are able to exert a greater influence on changes in the economic structure than it is generally assumed. The authors believe that the states implementing the restructuring and renewal policy should take into account changes in the allocation of labor resources by regions and cities in order to observe the balance in regions’ development and not to fall into a trap in which economic growth of regions attracting labor resources will be achieved at the expense of other regions.