CHANGE IN THE PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE OF YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN THE REGION

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of the labor market and employment in the context of pro-fessional competencies matching job requirements, using the Vologda region as an example. The au-thor's research hypothesis is that potential changes in the professional and sectoral structure of youth employment will differ from those of the “mature population”, and these changes will be determined by competence factors. The primary research method is the analysis of statistical indicators, which al-lowed concluding how the structure of youth employment has changed compared to that of the “ma-ture population” category, and identifying the factors influencing these changes. The information base for the research consisted of federal and regional statistical data. Based on the tested hypothesis, the author found that over the period from 2017 to 2024, there was a decrease in the representation of young people in the most qualified professional groups, such as managers and highly qualified specialists, in the Vologda re-gion. At the same time, their representation increased in less qualified professional groups, such as in-formation generation, documentation, accounting, and service specialists. The sectoral structure of employment over the same period was characterized by a redistribution of young people from indus-try and construction (despite rising wages in these sectors) to transportation and other services. The author suggests that this is due to a mismatch between employer requirements and the training of-fered to young people upon graduation. This makes it difficult for this population group to find suita-ble employment, pushing them towards unemployment and lower-skill jobs, and thus leading to changes in the professional and sectoral structure of youth employment. Regional executive authori-ties can use these findings to develop measures to better utilize the human capital of young people.