Modern research on youth employment: A sociological analysis

 

Ekaterina V. Shchanina, D.Sc. (Sociology), Docent, Associate Professor, Department of Management and Public Administration, Penza State University, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6834-1886, e-mail: shchanina@mail.ru

Danila R. Chernov, PhD student, Department of Management and Public Administration, Penza State University, e-mail: danil_chernov_1998@mail.ru

 

Modern processes of digitalization, globalization, and the transformation of labor values intensify social instability and complicate the professional socialization of youth, making the study of youth employment particularly relevant. Young people, who are in the process of transitioning to independent economic activity, face numerous barriers when entering the labor market, including institutional, economic, sociocultural, and personal constraints. At the same time, the dynamics of the labor market, driven by technological changes, create new opportunities but also increase competition, requiring continuous professional development from young people. The rise of non-standard forms of employment and changes in work motivation call for new scientific reflection. The aim of this study is to provide a sociological analysis of the current issues and trends in youth employment in Russia in the context of sociocultural and digital transformations, with a focus on the factors shaping their professional strategies and forms of employment. The study is based on data from Rosstat, as well as empirical materials from contemporary Russian sociological studies, including comparative, regional, and longitudinal surveys. The methodological framework includes structural-functional, institutional, and sociocultural approaches, along with methods such as secondary data analysis, and the systematization and generalization of scientific literature. The research findings reveal a growth in non-standard forms of employment, a high level of youth unemployment, an increase in labor precarity, the fragmentation of career paths, and a decline in the significance of traditional models of labor activity. Digital skills, family and cultural capital, as well as regional differences, are becoming increasingly important. The study concludes that a comprehensive state policy on youth employment is necessary, aimed at reducing social inequality, supporting flexible employment models, and promoting the labor adaptation of young people to the conditions of the information and digital society.

Keywords: employment, youth, non-standard forms of employment, labor market, professional development, precarization, values, unemployment

 

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