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Voprosy Ekonomiki

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No 11 (2020)
View or download the full issue PDF (Russian)
https://doi.org/10.32609/0042-8736-2020-11

LABOR AND SOCIAL ECONOMICS

5-31 2954
Abstract

There has been a fast rise of interest within the economic science for studying effects of non-cognitive skills on individual economic behavior. Empirical analysis of this sort requires data linking individual psychological and economic variables. Psychological variables can be operationalized by using concepts of “the locus of control” and of “the Big Five” of personality traits. This paper presents descriptive systematization of various indicators of non-cognitive skills introduced in various waves of the RLMS-HSE household survey in 2000-2016. Non-cognitive skills are analyzed in the breakdown by major socio-demographic groups and in association with indicators of life success.

32-46 1328
Abstract

While the term “middle class” is widely used in economic literature, its quantitative estimates vary greatly, and the choice of an appropriate methodology is one of the key issues. Applying the base income approach together with behavioral metrics, we estimated the share of the Russian middle class at around 32% of population in 2018, the lowest level in the last decade. The deterioration observed in the position of the middle class was partially mirrored in the behavioral changes. This group of population was less engaged in the credit boom which started since 2016 and did not actively use financial leverage to support its consumption. Finally, the Russian middle class has changed its social landscape: the analysis of its occupational activity shows a strong shift towards state employment rather than entrepreneurial activity.

47-68 922
Abstract

The hypothesis of declining individual discount rates for socially significant investments as compared to the rates for socially neutral ones confirmed based on a mass survey with using hypothetical situations on investing by the individuals the lottery prize to long-term social bonds. It is shown that there exists a special type of asset in the form of additional part of capital advanced to investment projects which arises for socially significant projects from the fact that people are ready to vote for their financing at a lower rate. The conclusions are drawn about the value of the considered type of asset for the case of Russia, the social base through which it can be accumulated and its differences for merit and public goods of various types. The study was conducted on the basis of a Russian national quota sample.

69-85 1510
Abstract

The topic of the middle class is back among the most relevant in recent years against the background of searching for growth drivers for the economy and the key to social stability of society. The expectations placed on the middle class often seem excessive and contradictory, but there are perspectives in which this stratum of society differs significantly from other Russians. This article examines the role of the middle class as a provider of changes and new standards of consumption through investment practices in the development of human capital. The focus is on the consumption of paid services in education and health, both in dynamics over a period of almost 20 years, and based on data from a special cross-sectional study of the middle class conducted in 2018. An assessment of the dynamics of consumption of paid services shows that the Russian middle class is actively increasing investment in human capital in favorable economic conditions and is trying to maintain the existing level of consumption in times of crisis, while remaining the leader in the consumption of these services among the population. A factor model of investment behavior of the middle class built on the data of a special cross-sectional survey highlights the differentiation of behavior of various socio-economic groups in its composition. The study takes into account the heterogeneity of the middle class and analyzes the behavior of its core and other representatives.

86-112 1416
Abstract
This study analyses wage differentials between Russian regions. We focus on two long-term factors shaping them: different regional economic structures and living conditions. To examine the role of these factors we use micro-data from the Rosstat’s enterprise sample surveys conducted in 2005-2015, combined with data from the aggregated regional-level statistics. By estimating mincer-type wage equations extended with regional-level variables we show that cross-regional differences in employment composition are able explain no more than one third of the total interregional variation in nominal wages. Wage compensations for relatively worse living conditions (higher price levels, colder winter, and worse environmental conditions) account for about half of the remaining variation. Both factors together explain about 60% of the total variation. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the nature of interregional wage differentials in Russia and have important implications.
113-132 2847
Abstract

The paper estimates the determinants and effects of the job–education field match on graduates’ salaries and job satisfaction taking the merged data from the Russian Labour Force Survey and the National Survey of Graduate Employment, both conducted in 2016. The authors use various measures of the horizontal job–education match: the respondents’ self-assessment and the objective measure derived from job and education fields codes from the corresponding classifiers. The analysis has shown that the probability of having a job in accordance with the received education is higher for graduates in the sphere of medical, computer and law sciences. There is a penalty for mismatched from 6% to 13% compared to those working accordingly the received diploma. The higher the degree of the mismatch - the greater the penalty. The size of penalty depends on major and on the match measure used. The study revealed the negative impact of the job–education horizontal mismatch on job satisfaction, which provides some evidence that the mismatch is mostly involuntary.

ECONOMIC HISTORY

133-158 1077
Abstract

A relative uniformity of population distribution on the territory of the country is of importance from socio-economic and strategic perspectives. It is especially important in the case of Russia with its densely populated West and underpopulated East. This paper considers changes in population density in Russian regions, which occurred between 1897 and 2017. It explores whether there was convergence in population density and what factors influenced it. For this purpose, it uses the data both at county and regional levels, which are brought to common borders for comparability purposes. Further, the models of unconditional and conditional β-convergence are estimated, taking into account the spatial dependence. The paper concludes that the population density equalization took place in 1897-2017 at the county level and in 1926—1970 at the regional level. In addition, the population density increase is shown to be influenced not only by spatial effects, but also by political and geographical factors such as climate, number of GULAG camps, and the distance from the capital city.



ISSN 0042-8736 (Print)