Social well-being in coronacrisis: Who took the brunt of it?

Abstract

Basing on the data from the representative sociological survey held by the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting RANEPA in March 2021, the socio-economic difficulties faced by various groups of the Russian population during the pandemic year were studied. It was found out that the negative trend of financial well-being rather widely characterizing Russians was most widespread among the middle-aged Russians and among those holding the lowest employment positions. The practice of consumer savings, which is slightly differentiated by demographic groups, is in the highest degree (at the level higher than 80%) related to those who have low financial status and significant loan burden. Two thirds of the working respondents, primarily representatives of management-level, faced a variety of problems in the sphere of employment caused by the specifics of the crisis context. Mass shift to a remote format of employment which became quite successful as a situational adaptive mechanism has turned out to be associated with decrease in work productivity and comfort of working duties performance. More than half of the respondents faced changes in habitual recreational and leisure practices, and 23% of them—significant changes. Women, representatives of the most active youth cohort and dwellers of megacities perceive these changes most acutely. The period under consideration is characterized by significant negative dynamics in interpersonal trust beyond the “nearest circle” in all socio-demographic groups of the population. Social interactions of Russians are mostly developed within “the nearest circle of communication”, firstly—with relatives; the level of trust and hope for help in case of need from governmental and public institutes is much lower. Representatives of the least resource-rich groups of the population show a lower level of involvement in the networks of potential social support that further limits the adaptation potential of the vulnerable strata of population.