Labor Market Processes Research Articles

THE ANALYSIS OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN SIBERIA AT AN INITIAL STAGE OF COVID-19

Labor market processes reflect the economic situation both at regional and national levels. The large-scale economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic showed the need for conceptual changes both in terms of analysis and forecasting of labor market. In particular, the demand for research aimed at finding higher-frequency proxy indicators for modeling a short-term situation on the labor market increased sharply. Scientific literature accumulated certain experience in using it for research of different economic segments, including the labor market, at national and international levels. However, there is lack of knowledge in the mesoeconomic context. In this paper, we incorporated search data into econometric models to analyze the regional labor market in Siberia during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We selected such keywords as «job» and “employment service” from Yandex as the main proxy indicators. In this research, we construct a set of models based on panel data: pooled regression model, model with random effects, model with fixed effects, dynamic panel data model. The findings show that the search data can be used as a significant factor for modeling regional unemployment. The use of dynamic models improved the accuracy by including the lags of dependent variable - unemployment rate. The applied logic can be utilized to analyze the impact of a wider range of shocks.

Алгоритм оптимального управления замкнутой системой рынка труда на заданном временном интервале

The ratio of supply and demand in the labor market is an important criteria for the effectiveness of the functioning of the economic system at the macro level. Improving the effectiveness of employers' personnel policy requires the development of new control tools and forecasting of dynamic labor market processes at the macro and micro levels. The problem of optimal control of the previously proposed closed labor market system is considered. The problem of optimal control of a system described by a system of nonlinear differential equations is formulated in general form. Aim. Finding piecewise constant control values at which the price-quality ratio in the labor market will be maximum over the next three years. Materials and methods. According to the concept of the model, the subjects of the labor market are divided into three categories depending on the amount of demand for their labor: subjects of high, low and medium qualifications. A hypothesis has been adopted according to which vacant places in the labor market are considered to be occupied by low-skilled subjects. Due to the previously proven uniqueness of solving the problem of optimal control of a closed labor market, a greedy algorithm for finding the maximum value of the price-quality ratio in the labor market is justified. Using Wolfram Mathematica, according to the method found earlier, the formulated optimal control problem was solved at each time half-interval. Results. Control values have been obtained at which the price-quality ratio in the labor market of the village of Sylva in the Perm Territory will be maximum over the next three years. The results substantiate the recommendation to introduce stricter requirements for applicants for vacant positions at the city-forming enterprise of the village of Sylva in the Perm Territory.

Finding Work in the Age of LGBTQ + Equalities: Labor Market Experiences of Queer and Trans Workers in Deindustrializing Cities

Despite legal protections and growing acceptance in many industrialized countries, LGBTQ + workers continue to face considerable employment disadvantage. We explain this contradiction by detailing labor market processes that limit employment prospects for LGBTQ + workers in Sudbury and Windsor (both small cities with industrial histories). Drawing on 50 semistructured interviews and 662 community survey responses from LGBTQ + workers, we show how LGBTQ + employment opportunities are constrained by a constellation of multiscalar factors. These include the absence of good work opportunities outside of blue-collar work in deindustrializing labor markets, associated persistent cisnormativity and heteronormativity, and inconsistent protection from discrimination and social acceptance at work. As a result, respondents self-selected out of blue-collar workplaces, avoided and left jobs when they experienced or anticipated discrimination, and chose to remain in jobs with supportive employers rather than find a new job in a potentially homophobic or transphobic labor market. This article extends current understandings of labor markets economic geography by connecting production histories to persistent cisnormativity and heteronormitivity, and by showing how the search for emotional safety in cities with inconsistent social acceptance perpetuates economic disadvantage for queer and trans workers.

A multi-phase approach for developing a conceptual model for human resources for health observatory (HRHO) toward integrating data and evidence: a case study of Iran

BackgroundEvidence-informed policymaking on human resources for health (HRH) has been directly linked with health system productivity, accessibility, equity, quality, and efficiency. The lack of reliable HRH data has made the task of planning the HRH more difficult in all settings.AimThis study aimed to develop a conceptual model to integrate HRH data and evidence.MethodsThe current study is a mixed-method study conducted in three phases: a rapid literature review, a qualitative phase, and an expert panel. Firstly, the electronic databases were searched up to 2018. Then, in the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with 50 experts were conducted. Data analysis was performed using the content analysis approach. After several expert panels, the draft of the model was validated with 15 key informants via two Delphi rounds.ResultsOur proposed model embraces all dominant elements on the demand and supply side of the HRH in Iran. The conceptual model consists of several components, including input (regulatory system, structure, functions), educational system (pre-service and in-service education), health labor market structure, process (technical infrastructure), and output (productions, policymaking process). We considered networking toward sustainable interaction among stakeholders, and also the existence of capacity to integrate HRH information and produce evidence for actions.ConclusionThe proposed model can be considered a platform for developing a harmonized system based on the HRH data flow to evidence-informed decision-making via networking. We proposed a step-by-step approach for the sustainability of establishing a national human resources for health observatory (HRHO). The proposed HRHO model can be replicable and flexible enough to be used in different context domains.

Modernisation of foreign-language education in the epoch of social challenges and technological transformation: a case study of Master degree programme transformation

Problem and aim. The radical changes in the labour market, digitalisation, internationalisation and internal processes involving transformation of university educational activities with regard for the new conditions require a qualitative review of both the substantive and technological components of the educational process organisation. The aim of the research is to present a methodology for transforming the educational process organisation model on the basis of modern technological and didactic solutions, the one implementing the principles of contextual/ interdisciplinary and intercultural approaches. Materials and methods. The research was carried out on the basis of the diagnostics data considering satisfaction with educational practices, career and educational plans of Master degree students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages at Tomsk State University (Russian Federation). The remote survey was conducted in April 2022 and covered 19 Master degree graduate students, 20 first-year Master degree students and 9 head executives of educational organisations – employers of young professionals. The questioning was administered anonymously by the Accreditation Centre of Tomsk State University. The questionnaire used both closed and open-ended questions related to the graduates’ satisfaction with the educational programme, and the employers’ satisfaction with the quality of professional training of the young specialists. The method of SWOT analysis of the educational process was applied. The analysis of questionnaire findings was carried out using the methods of content analysis, frequency analysis and descriptive statistics. Survey results. It was revealed that the leading criterion of attractiveness of the Master degree programme is the prospect of career and status growth, which was mentioned by 63% of the respondents. Special importance is given by 63% of the respondents to the need for applying information technologies. The desirability of industrial partnerbased training is noted by 53% of the students. A total of 89% of the employers attach importance to professional competence of the graduates; 56% appreciate the ability to resolve tasks independently, to work in a team, and professionals’ initiative. The formulation of graduates’ professional competences and indicators of their results have been clarified. The basic mechanisms for modernisation of educational programmes in the context of social challenges and technological transformation have been specified. Conclusion. The need to secure due quality of foreign language education necessitates modernisation of educational programmes in the epoch of social challenges and technological transformation. The obtained results can be used to modernise the basic educational Master degree programme not only in the mentioned profile, but also for other programmes aimed at interdisciplinary research. Keywords: modernisation, education programme, competence-based approach, educational mode

A Review of Literature on Sustainable Cities and Urban Ageing: Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries

The proportion of the elderly population is increasing rapidly. This trend demands measures and actions that enable elderly people to stay active and self-sufficient as long as possible. However, in cities, elderly people are more vulnerable to climate change, and socioeconomic changes since most city environments are designed to support the working population. Therefore age-friendly living environments and facilities are necessary to promote active ageing. Sustainable cities and ageing populations have been researched widely as separate concepts, but these two have not been researched together. The paper provides a review of empirical research on sustainable cities and urban ageing by giving a special focus on challenges and opportunities for developing countries. The review identifies eight domains in age-friendly cities: (1) outdoor spaces and buildings; (2) transportation; (3) housing; (4) social participation; (5) respect and social inclusion; (6) civic participation and employment; (7) communication and information; and (8) community support and health services. Challenging areas include elderly labour force participation, elderly caring, social security, inclusive urban infrastructure, urban poverty, and peace and security. As a policy implication, collective efforts should be made to formulate policies and programmes to keep the active and productive elderly in the labour market, community development, and decision-making process.

Flexibility without security: Labour market integration mechanisms in Hungary during the 2010s

The paper aims to summarise the role of social integration in the labour market processes of the 2010s in Hungary. We have left behind a key decade when employment growth reached unprecedented proportions. However, this unprecedented growth had serious social costs, as those excluded from the labour market during the break-up of the welfare state were left without social protection, and because the financial situation of those entering the labour market improved in absolute terms. Still, their relative deprivation did not change or worsened, and in the meanwhile their ability to enforce their interests has been significantly reduced. That is, today’s Hungarian government wants to integrate the members of society into the labour market. To this end, it provides increasingly weak protection for those who, due to old age, long-term illness or unemployment, are forced to stay out of the labour market. Disintegration affects those with the fewest resources, the least capable of conflict and those unable to articulate their problems in public most: these are women, young people and older workers who are ‘traditionally’ in a worse position in the labour market, in addition to those who are forced out of the labour market. The question is whether the current social model or the situation of those who disintegrated from the labour market will continue to deteriorate after the economic slowdown.

Labour market effects and changes among enterprises in free enterprise zones in Hungary

The aim of regional development and planning, as defined in the 1996 Spatial Development Law, is to promote social and economic growth and reduce significant economic and infrastructure disparities. Its role is to support community initiatives to this end, with a particular emphasis on promoting the catching up of lagging regions, reducing unemployment and supporting the regeneration of industrial and agricultural businesses. This legislation enabled the creation of the Free Enterprise Zones in Hungary in 2013. The list, which has been extended twice since then, currently includes 1202 municipalities. Municipalities belonging to the zones create a favourable environment for investment, and businesses that invest and create jobs in the area can benefit from corporate tax relief and contributions payable by employers and are eligible for EU funding. According to the hypothesis of our research, the number of jobseekers in the municipalities of FEZs (compared to other municipalities) has decreased significantly, while the number of enterprises has increased. Furthermore, counties with a higher proportion of FEZ municipalities were presumed to have received more EU funds. To demonstrate this, we examined the labour market processes within FEZs due to the effects of their inclusion in the zones. Drawing on official labour market and business-related regional statistics, the analysis takes a regional perspective and seeks to focus on temporality. The database contains data at the level of municipalities (registered jobseekers, public employees, active enterprises, number of employees, subsidies) for the period under study (2012-2020). In addition to labour market processes, a further focus of the analysis was the inclusion of the SME sector to uncover mutually positive effects. According to the findings of our research, the positive impact on labour market processes cannot be clearly justified, whereas for the enterprises, inclusion in the zone induced positive effects. A positive effect was also found in terms of average staff numbers. The results show that the use of development aid is more effective for enterprises operating within the zones than in other parts of Hungary.

Platforms and Prejudice: The Cycle of Racial Disparities on a Labor Platform

We examine a multistage evaluation process to understand the conditions under which racial minorities are at risk for disparate work outcomes using data from a platform-based skilled labor market for small business entrepreneurs. Analyzing various evaluative outcomes including job cancellations, ratings, and job allocation for nearly 100,000 jobs, we find that workers perceived as racial minorities (relative to white) receive significantly more cancellations, as well as more one-star ratings and fewer five-star ratings, even among top performers. Factors that reduce uncertainty, including worker quality, and both worker and customer experience, help attenuate the disparity in cancellations but not in ratings. Further, we demonstrate the cyclical nature of bias entrenchment and the interplay of bias with formal practices—ratings and cancellations are mutually reinforcing, and feed back into priority algorithmic work assignments. Our research illustrates the critical role that uncertainty plays in magnifying bias against racial minorities in labor market contexts and that the mechanism driving bias is a function of the evaluation stage. We contribute to the sociological literature on bias in labor market processes, status and inequality in organizations, and work precarity.

Gender and Racial Discrimination in Hiring Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Field Experiment of Accountants, 2018-2020.

In this article, we ask whether macro-level changes during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic relate to changes in the levels of discrimination against women and Black job-seekers at the point of hire. We develop three main hypotheses: that discrimination against women and Black job-seekers increases due to a reduction in labor demand; that discrimination against women decreases due to the reduced supply of women employees and applicants; and that discrimination against Black job-seekers decreases due to increased attention toward racial inequities associated with the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020. We test these hypotheses using a correspondence audit study collected over two periods, before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic, for one professional occupation: accountants. We find that White women experience a positive change in callbacks during the pandemic, being preferred over White men, and this change is concentrated in geographic areas that experienced relatively larger decreases in women's labor supply. Black women experience discrimination pre-pandemic but receive similar callbacks to White men during the pandemic. In contrast to both White and Black women, discrimination against Black men is persistent before and during the pandemic. Our findings are consistent with the prediction of gender-specific changes in labor supply being associated with gender-specific changes in hiring discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. More broadly, our study shows how hiring decision-making is related to macro-level labor market processes.

Work and Family Disadvantage: Determinants of Gender Gaps in Paid Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the increase in gender inequality in paid work during the pandemic to unpack the relative relevance of labor market and work-family conflict processes. Using panel data from the United States Current Population Survey, we examine four mechanisms in an integrated analysis that explicitly includes single-parent households and assesses the moderating role of women’s economic position relative to their partners. The results indicate that increases in gender inequality during the pandemic were heavily concentrated in households with children but also partly connected to gender differences in prepandemic labor market positions and to the higher prevalence of women in lower earner position relative to their partners. Single parents were more negatively impacted than partnered parents, but the disproportionate concentration of this impact on women does not contribute much to increases in overall gender inequality due to the relatively smaller size of this group.

Кривая Филлипса: инфляция и NAIRU в российских регионах

Price stability is one of the strategic goals of the monetary policy of the Bank of Russia. A significant factor of inflationary pressure on the economy is short-term deviations of the unemployment rate from NAIRU. At the same time, the relationship between the labor market and inflationary processes at the regional level may differ significantly. This paper examines regional heterogeneity in the Russian labor market in the form of a Phillips curve. An important feature for choosing the main research method is the lack of statistical information about NAIRU. Based on the models of unobservable components using the Kalman filter, the influence of the unemployment gap on inflation in each region of the Russian Federation is estimated. The constructed models take into account the impact on inflation of the main premises of the theory of rational expectations, supply shocks and inflation lags. Conclusions were drawn that there is a significant relationship between the unemployment gap and inflation for most of the Russian regions, while the sensitivity of inflation to changes in the labor market in the country as a whole is rather weak. Regions with proinflationary and disinflationary influence from the labor market were identified.

Review on Environmentally Friendly Chemicals

Early-career researchers who want to specialize in green chemistry should be interested in training in toxicology, sustainability, and environmental impact assessment of prepared products. The most demanding fields for specialists in environmentally friendly chemistry are industrial fields, especially in the sectors of technology, pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, and consumer health. They are also in demand in entertainment companies and supply offices. Researchers should also strengthen their marketing abilities, gain a better understanding of the labor market and production processes, and become well-versed in all applicable rules and regulations. Green chemistry curricula are uncommon in the United States, where Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, the University of Toledo in Ohio, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and the University of California at Berkeley have launched Postgraduate programmes in green chemistry, as have European institutions such as York University in the United Kingdom and the University of Copenhagen, as well as some universities in Asia. Some companies have also cooperated with universities to build environmentally friendly chemistry laboratories.

Demand-side consequences of unemployment and horizontal skill mismatches across national contexts: An employer-based factorial survey experiment

With growing flexibilization in the labour market, continuous and consistent career trajectories have become less the norm, and workers facing unemployment may need to look for employment opportunities outside the occupation they are trained in. But what are their employment chances? And what are the chances of returning to the occupation they were trained in after having worked in a different occupation? Despite much research on how employers evaluate job candidates with vertical skill mismatches (e.g. over-qualification and under-qualification) and unemployment, there is little research to investigate how employers view horizontal mismatch in comparison to unemployment, and whether a combination of both generates multiplicative negative effects. Using data gathered from an employer survey experiment in Switzerland and Greece, we find that in Switzerland both unemployment and horizontal mismatch significantly reduce employment chances, but the scarring effect of horizontal mismatch is much stronger. In contrast, in Greece horizontal mismatch significantly reduces employment chances but unemployment does not. Furthermore, we found that horizontal mismatch scarring is significantly stronger in Switzerland than in Greece. These findings suggest that the scarring effects of both unemployment and horizontal mismatch vary across contexts. Further analyses show that, rather than experiencing multiplicative scarring effects, unemployment does not add further disadvantages to mismatched candidates in either country, highlighting the importance of occupational specificity of skills in labour market matching. Overall, these findings facilitate a more nuanced understanding of demand-side labour market processes, highlighting the distinct interactive effects of unemployment and horizontal mismatch across national contexts.

Methodological and Practical Issues of the Organization of the Personnel of the Enterprise and the Implementation of Changes to its Structure

The article is devoted to the study of methodological features and substantiation of practical measures in the organization of the enterprise personnel system and the introduction of changes in its structure. It is proved that personnel management is a system of interdependent, organizational, economic and social measures aimed at implementing the conditions of normal functioning, development and effective use of labour potential at the enterprise level. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the active development of the labour market and related processes of economic relations have given rise to new theoretical ideas about the organization of personnel management, a critical understanding of this problem requires adequate approaches to solving the problems of labour management. The main goal of personnel management is highlighted, which is to effectively combine staff training, training and motivation to perform work with a more complex level. The authors, on the basis of general approaches, have developed a methodology for improving the structure of personnel in order to increase the efficiency of the enterprise. It is established that the personnel management system at the enterprise should provide the optimal balance of the processes of arrival and dismissal of employees, i.e. updating the number of staff; development of high-quality staff in accordance with the needs of the enterprise. It is revealed that the practical implementation of personnel strategy at the enterprise is carried out by the systematic use of means of implementation, and the means in turn involve ways and methods of action. As a result of elaboration of ways and means to achieve the strategic goal, the formation of personnel strategy is possible under the conditions of assessment of opportunities and threats of the external environment. Enterprises should create such a system of protection so that in the face of risk factors, it can improve its competitive position in relation to other enterprises that do not have such a system.

Problems of Legal Regulation of Educational Development under Conditions of Regional Integration (on the Example of the EAEU)

Modern integration processes are shaping a new era of interaction between states, economic and political systems, and people. International integration significantly expands cultural and informational contacts between peoples and states, affects management, production, trade, the labor market, political education, and other public institutions and processes. However, special attention is paid to the problems of education sector development. The Eurasian integration processes are no exception in this regard. In particular, the growth of the Eurasian Economic Union, which was created with the aim of building conditions for the accelerated development of the integration entity in accordance with modern requirements and the global challenges of our time. Currently, the areas of economic cooperation within the Union include, among others, the field of education, which makes it necessary to assess the problems of proper legal regulation within the international integration organization. The methodological bases of the work were the well-known general and particular methods of scientific research. The objectives of the current article are to study the relevant problems of legal support in the field of education at the supranational level and identify general trends, as well as the essential characteristics and main features in the field under consideration.

Availability of social services for families with disabled children in the context of the welfare state

The phenomenon of the welfare state is characterized by complexity of indicators. To determine in which areas the country is closer to the welfare state, various areas of social policy are analysed. In this article, we set out to investigate one of them, i.e., the accessibility of social services for children with disabilities. The European Union ensures the basic preconditions for the well-being of children with disabilities and emphasizes the compatibility of health, social and educational services (European Commission, 2021). In addition, Member States are free to introduce specific measures for social inclusion (COM, 2021). The well-being of children with disabilities is inseparable from that of adults, usually the family in which the children live. Depending on the child’s disability, the family has to devote time to the child’s special needs, so opportunities to function in society, such as working and earning an income, become dependent on the social assistance received for the disabled child. Research shows that participation in labour market processes reduces the social exclusion of families with children with disabilities and improves quality of life indicators in general (Stefanidis & Strogilos 2020). However, analysis of good practice is more common, while information about the lack of services that parents face difficulties remains overboard. Thus, our research contributes to a better understanding of how families raising children with disabilities use state-provided social services and what solutions and measures are needed to improve the quality of life of children with disabilities and their relatives. The practical implications of our article are revealed through the possibility of more confidently shaping the decisions and measures of the welfare state.The article presents results of a survey of 68 families with disabled children. Our research was conducted in Druskininkai municipality which has typical infrastructure of social services for the disabled and their families in Lithuania.Our study has shown that social services in Lithuania poorly meet needs of families with disabled children. Though social inclusion is one of the most important features of the welfare state, the provision of social services to disabled and their families goes beyond the concept in Druskininkai municipality at least. Families have little information about social guarantees and support provided by the state and municipality. The families are limited to services reported by health care and education institutions. Moreover, the most significant problem hindering social integration of disabled and their families is a small portion of disabled children using services of day care centre. As a result, children suffer at risk of social exclusion while disabled children’s parents lack of opportunities to fully participate in the labour market.Based on the results of the study we state that increasing the availability of social services that meet the needs of families with disabled children is a necessary social policy solution, without which the development of a welfare state in Lithuania is hardly possible.

INFORMATION SUPPORT OF THE LABOR MARKET OF UKRAINE AND EASTERN EUROPE: INNOVATION ASPECTS

Introduction. The processes of informatization of society, reform of state institutions and transformation of the economic system of Ukraine identify new problems and set new challenges for regulating the labor market and employment on the basis of public-private partnership, including by bringing to all labor market actors relevant information from verified sources. Given the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, Ukraine should take into account the experience of Eastern European countries that have been in similar transition conditions and have shown significant progress, in particular in overcoming the problems and threats in the labor markets that they have encountered in the process of European integration. Purpose and objectives. There is a necessity to justify the expediency of integration of information of subjects in the labor market of Ukraine for the purpose of formation of uniform information support of the labor market that will promote legal productive employment of citizens. Methodology. The article is based on international legal acts, laws and bylaws of Ukraine in the field of employment and regulation of labor market processes in the context of the functioning of a single information environment, formed on the basis of public-private partnership. Both general and special methods were used for the research: methods of analysis and synthesis, descriptive method, methods of induction and deduction. Results. The article analyzes the regulation of the European labor market by integrating the capabilities of national public employment services, the implementation of equal opportunities in free labor mobility for European workers. The data and experience of the countries of Eastern Europe are given. The institutional and legislative aspects of the functioning of private mediation in the domestic labor market are considered and it is proved that in Ukraine there is currently no regulatory influence of the state on the activities of private mediation in this market, and regulatory support in this area is imperfect. It is studied that information flows of private intermediaries, including job search and recruiting websites, operate independently of state intermediaries, and the public does not fully have up-to-date information on the state and needs of the domestic labor market. The article highlights the role of the government and the State Employment Service in the formation of information support of the labor market, compares the published data, provides relevant recommendations of the International Labor Organization and foreign experience. Conclusions. The information published in Ukraine by private labor market intermediaries needs full attention, as its connection with informal employment is not excluded. Given the impact of globalization challenges on the functioning and development of the domestic labor market, it is proposed to standardize the activities of private labor market intermediaries, including job search and recruiting websites, by including their data on labor supply and demand in the domestic labor market. For Ukraine, the experience of the European countries in cooperation between public and private intermediaries in the labor market, based on the creation of single information support of the labor market, including through joining the EURES system, is relevant.

Congruence Between Leadership Gender and Organizational Claims Affects the Gender Composition of the Applicant Pool: Field Experimental Evidence

The extent to which men and women sort into different jobs and organizations—namely, gender differences in supply-side labor market processes—is a key determinant of workplace gender composition. This study draws on theories of congruence to uncover a unique organization-level driver of gender differences in job seekers’ behavior. We first argue and show that congruence between leadership gender and organizational claims is a key mechanism that drives job seekers’ interest. Specifically, many organizational claims are gender-typed, such that social claims activate the female stereotype, whereas business claims activate the male stereotype. Thus, whereas female-led organizations making social claims are gender-congruent, male-led firms making the same claims are gender-incongruent. Beyond demonstrating a general preference among job seekers for congruence, we also find that female job seekers are most interested in working for organizations that are simultaneously congruent and provide credible signals that they are fair and equitable employers. The congruence of leadership gender and organizational claims thus affects the gender composition of applicant pools for otherwise identical jobs.

The Impact of Advanced Industry 4.0 Technologies on Unemployment in Russian Regions

The introduction of advanced technologies requires restructuring the labour market and redistributing the workforce. Therefore, the study of the demand for workers in the digital economy is necessary for preventing unemployment. We examine the impact of advanced technologies on unemployment in Russian regions. The transition to a new technological wave and the development of advanced technologies will differently affect the unemployment among various categories of population depending on their educational level. Using the combination of spatial analysis, statistical and econometric methods, we identified clusters of high-tech, medium-tech, and low-tech regions of the Russian Federation, described the impact and confirmed the proposed hypothesis. We have discovered that most Russian regions have a low potential to transition to a new technological wave. Simultaneously, in high-tech regions with sufficient potential to develop a new technological wave, digital economy does not require a large number of employees with university education. Moreover, such regions are experiencing an acute shortage of people with vocational education. Currently, selected Russian regions have resources, potential and reserves to develop the sixth technological wave, while others provide human resources. This situation leads not only to deepening regional differentiation but also to severance of economic relations between regions, hindering their interaction in the new conditions. The obtained results can be used to support proposals and measures for regulating labour market processes to develop scientific, technological and economic potential of the country.