Outsourcing and Freelancing as Modern Labor Market Trends: Professional Requests of Youth

Abstract

The modern period of development of the Russian economy is undergoing a transformation process due to globalization and informatization and is characterized by the development of flexible forms of network interaction between actors of economic relations, close information links, the development of international trade and investment, participation in the international division of labor. These trends lead to the emergence of non-traditional forms of interaction in the business community. Outsourcing and freelancing as forms of employment based on temporary contracts, part-time employment, and self-employment are among the dynamically developing trends in the labor market. In this regard, the identification of the features of outsourcing and freelancing as socio-economic phenomena is of certain relevance. The article examines the essential characteristics of these forms of economic relations, defines their features in comparison with traditional forms of labor relations, identifies the positive aspects and possible risks of their use. Some trends in the development of outsourcing and freelancing which contribute to their wide distribution in the Russian business reality and make them in demand among young people – university graduates – have been found. To identify professional needs of students as future actors of economic activity, the authors of the study have conducted a survey among students of various areas of study of bachelor programs, aimed at identifying students' plans for building a future career, self-assessment of the degree of development of their personal and professional qualities necessary for successful professional realization. The results obtained can become guidelines for employers in choosing mechanisms for managing their organization and personnel in accordance with the trends in the professional interests of young people, and for future specialists planning to choose outsourcing or freelancing and assessing the benefits and risks of such work options.