Entry into the Russian Labor Market of Graduates of Professional and Higher Educational Institutions (Based on Sample Surveys)

Abstract

This article is based on the materials of the analytical report «Analysis of the results obtained on the basis of data from a sample observation of the employment of graduates in 2016–2020 who received secondary vocational and higher education».The introductory part explains the relevance of improving statistical tools for studying the economic activity of young people at the present stage of the socio-economic development of Russia.The body of the article introduces a brief description of the main methodological provisions of the observation, and also covers main differences between the second round of observation (VTR-2021) and the first round (VTR-2016). The paper presents results of the economic and statistical analysis of the employment of graduates according to the data of VTR-2021. As part of the analysis of educational migration, the article reveals the orientation of graduates to educational institutions within the borders of the subject of the Russian Federation they reside in, as well as the relationship between the level of education of graduates and the intensity of their mobility. The distance education «withers away» and the part-time education starts to play a special role as it allows one to combine study with work. There is an increase in the proportion of those who prefer to combine work and study. The authors highlight two main reasons for combining work and study: 1) the desire to have a personal income; 2) the desire to gain work experience in the future specialty. Based on the structural analysis, the conclusion is made about the dominance of various motives depending on the level of education.It is shown that the main difficulties the graduates face when finding employment are the lack or insufficiency of work experience, low wages, as well as the lack or absence of suitable vacancies. It is noted that the acquired knowledge of employed graduates meets the requirements of employers and is sufficient to perform basic duties. The results of the assessment of retraining (overtraining) in the first year of work are reviewed.