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Background. In many cases, informal employment is forced and associated with vulnerability and discrimination of workers, who may be limited in wages, social protection, professional growth and promotion, etc. The state and trends associated with the sphere of informal employment require constant monitoring. To make the right economic decisions, it is important to have timely information. The purpose of the work is to study the level, structure and dynamics of informal employment in the Russian Federation. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, secondary analysis of data provided by the Federal State Statistics Service and the Russian Public Opinion Research Center was used. During the study, systemic and institutional approaches were applied. Results. The category of informal employment includes carrying out labor activities in the informal sector and carrying out labor activities in the formal sector without formalizing labor relations. The average age of people employed in the informal sector is growing and in 2023 was 41,5 years. Despite the fact that Russian society has a fairly high tolerance for “black” earnings, the number of such payments is decreasing. Conclusions. The study showed a decrease in the number of people employed in the informal sector in 2017–2023 and a decrease in the number of people employed simultaneously in the formal and informal sectors.

Introduction. The paradoxicality of which lies in the fact that with a lack of official institutional trust of the population in the authorities, it flows into informal, criminal and semi-criminal social spheres, into corrupt social ties and groups, and into the informal economy, shadow employment. The purpose of the article is to conduct a sociological theoretical and methodological analysis of the paradoxical forms of institutional social trust in Russian society in the form of corrupt and shadow economic ties. Materials and Methods. Empirical data on the shadow labor market in the Russian Federation were obtained in the course of mass and expert surveys conducted in 2021 in 10 regions of the Russian Federation and 2 megacities. In the course of preparing this publication, general scientific, logical methods were used, structural-functional, sociocultural, anthroposociocultural, projective approaches in modern sociology, the method of sociological imagination, the methodology of analysis and the formation of “we-groups”. Results. In the course of the authors’ research, it was found that such negative social phenomena as domestic and business corruption, shadow (informal) employment are a paradoxical form of expression of institutional trust in society. The paradox of the sociological correlation of corruption and shadow employment with institutional trust only at first glance seems illogical and contrary to sound scientific understanding. As a result of the analysis, the authors have revealed that with a lack of basic institutional trust of the Russian population in state and municipal authorities, social trust flows into informal, semi-criminal and criminal spheres. It has been proved that corruption and informal employment as forms of social practice become forms of expression of specific political trust based on strong social ties (blood related, kindred, friendly) in Russian regions. The authors’ team determined that corruption and informal employment are becoming a type of informal social self-organization of society, which close the gap between the political communications of the elite and the expectations of civil society. Discussion and Conclusion. Corruption and the informal economy are becoming a paradoxical form of manifestation of situational, horizontal, institutional trust based on strong (blood related, kindred, friendly) ties, on the social ties of “we-groups”, on the atomism of the Russian regional society. This research can be practically used by sociologists, lawyers, criminologists, social psychologists, law enforcement officers of the Russian Federation.

Illegal labour activity is a multi-sided notion, which shows a whole set of processes dealing with arising, realizing and terminating labour relations between worker and employer, in case infringement of law and formal standards takes place. The goal of the research is to work out trends of lowering risks of illegal labour activity in national and sectoral aspects. The authors formed the methodological basis of the research by materials of investigations in the field of economic security and shadow economy, illegal and informal labour activity and risk management. Statistic and analytical materials of international and national statistic services were used as information foundation of the research. In the research the authors used general-scientific and specific economic methods that allow us to study the problem of illegal labour activity in a complex way, for instance, content-analysis, statistic analysis, revealing cause and effect links. Serious attention was paid to finding reasons and consequences of illegal labour activity and key branches of economy, where processes of illegal labour activity are the most obvious. Practical importance of the research is connected with using tools of risk management in state regulation and identifying measures of counteraction and barring cases of illegal labour activity. According to the authors state regulation in the field of illegal labour activity shall be based on monitoring and analysis of social and economic situation, forecasting trends and specification of plans of social and economic development.

The socio-economic situation in rural areas with high unemployment changes the labor behavior of the rural population. Labor capabilities of remote areas are limited. Population of remote areas is forced to look for different ways of earning money in their place of residence. They often find it in the informal economic sector. Informal employment is mostly casual, it does not provide social guarantees and low-paid. This situation provokes an increase in poverty and leads to an aggravation of social contradictions in rural areas. The purpose of this article is to identify informal employment practices and their impact on the material well-being of rural remote population. The survey was conducted in the Republic of Khakassia. Methods. The empirical basis for the study was the data of a sociological survey in 2022 among residents of remote areas of Khakassia. The population of large (from 500 to 1000 people) and small (up to 500 people) countryside was interviewed. The final sample was 404 people. The results of 33 interviews were also used. Results. Population of remote rural areas is quite active in additional employment, although it is more often forced. Additional employment is often not officially registered, is issued on a part-time basis, although the amount of work corresponds to the full-time rate. Also the one does not bring tangible income. Side gig is the most widespread practice of informal employment in rural areas. There are traditional and non-traditional activities of side gig. Additional employment has a positive effect on improving the material well-being in large countryside, personal subsidiary farming is in small countryside, in particular cattle breeding.

The Declaration by the Labour and Employment Ministers of the BRICS countries, “Quality Jobs and Inclusive Employment Policies,” guarantees that formalization of labor markets is a global priority for the BRICS countries, as informal employment hampers productivity, potential economic growth and efforts to improve the welfare of populations worldwide. Taking into account this strategic goal, the authors analyze the informal employment processes in the BRICS countries and speculate on the transition from informal to formal employment. The article addresses the issues of inhomogeneous notional ranges used to define informal employment and recommends that the possibilities provided by labor legislation and government employment policy (such as increasing the number of formal working places and dynamic development of labor legislation directed at regulation of new employment forms) be used to tackle these issues. The potential of the social security right for achieving the goals of transition to a formal economy and social security coverage is characterized in detail; various legal forms of social security (for example, government social security, social insurance (mandatory as well as voluntary) and social support) are analyzed; and the possibilities of their application to informal workers in the BRICS countries are defined.

Purpose of the study. Analysis of inflationary factors associated with the labor market and employment is usually limited to the study of the relationship between the consumer price index and the Phillips curve. Therefore, the study examines the potential impact of a wider range of labor and employment market indicators on inflationary processes in the Russian economy. The purpose of the paper is to identify and assess the links between unemployment, on the one hand, and indicators of the labor market, employment, and incomes of the population in the national economy of Russia.Materials and methods. The study used the author’s hypothesis about the possibility of influ-encing inflation not only by unemployment, but also by other indicators of the labor market, such as the share of informal employment or the average working hours per week. The research also studied the impact of the labor market not only on the consumer price index, but also on the basic consumer price index (cleared of the influence of seasonal and administrative factors). The monthly data of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation for 2016-2020 were used in Russia as a whole. We useda standard apparatus for searching and measuring cause-and-effect relationships (ma-trices of paired correlation coefficients, regression analysis).Results. In the short term, the level of labor force participation and economic activity have a positive relationship with inflation, as they are even lower than the level that could cause inflationary pressure (according to the second order polynomial). In 2017-2018 inflation was positively influ-enced by the size of the nominal accrued wages and the average number of hours worked per week. The traditional impact of the population income and aggregate demand on inflation has manifested itself. But it was insignificant (up to 10 % of inflation variance). This effect occurs only in those years when there are no more powerful inflationary factors. Consequently, cost inflation was fairly limited. In the short term, in some years, there is also a certain positive relationship between the share of people employed in the informal sector and the consumer price index. The rise in the infla-tionary tax on businesses without market power is forcing the majority of workers to be hired infor-mally. In the long term, an increase in the level of labor force participation explains part of the vari-ance of the basic consumer price index (but not related to the general consumer price index). With an increase in economic activity and income, the population acquires a wider range of goods, prices for which are not seasonal and are not administratively regulated.Conclusion. In general, the factors of the labor market and the population’s income are not de-cisive for inflation in the Russian economy, but they explain some of the changes. In the future, it is possible to build more accurate models in which indicators such as the level of labor supply can take a certain place next to the main inflationary factors. The findings of the study can be used when mak-ing decisions in the field of labor market regulation in conjunction with monetary policy.

Декларация Министров труда и занятости стран БРИКС “Квалифицированные рабочие места и инклюзивная политика в области занятости” гарантирует, что формализация рынков занятости является глобальным приоритетом для стран БРИКС, поскольку неформальная занятость препятствует производительности, потенциальному экономическому росту и усилиям по повышению благосостояния населения. Принимая во внимание эту стратегическую цель, авторы анализируют процессы неформальной занятости в странах БРИКС и размышляют о переходе от неформальной занятости к формальной. В статье затрагиваются вопросы неоднородного понятийного диапазона, используемого для определения неформальной занятости. Предлагается использовать возможности трудового законодательства и государственной политики в области занятости (увеличение числа официальных рабочих мест, динамичное развитие трудового законодательства, направленное на регулирование новых форм занятости). Подробно охарактеризован потенциал права на социальное обеспечение для достижения целей перехода к формальной экономике и охвату социальным обеспечением, проанализированы правовые формы социального обеспечения (государственное социальное обеспечение, социальное страхование (обязательное и добровольное), социальная поддержка), определены возможности их применения к неформальным работникам в странах БРИКС.

In the article analyzed the role of the precariat (people with non-standard or informal employment, temporary or non-permanent work) in modern European society as a new social class of the post-industrial period. Stated that socio-economic and political crises, including the coronavirus pandemic, allow us to see the development trends of the precariat (it’s formation as more monolite class), as well as the conditions under which its representatives become politically active and, moreover, have a decisive influence on the development of a particular society and state. It is noted that the effectiveness of the performance of the precariat in the public space largely depends on the extent to which its interests coincide with the expectations of the rest of the employed population (mainly the working class that could became precariat time to time). The article uses the methods of sociological research (Eurostat surveys etc.), comparative analysis, as well as a political science approach for the scrutiny of the precarious employment.

To make managerial decisions on labour market regulation on the regional level it is necessary to have an objective statistic estimation of interconnection between informal employment and indicators of social and economic development. The article describes preconditions of forming a complex system of indicators on the basis of documents of strategic planning and analysis of works by Russian and overseas researchers dealing with issues of informal employment. Informal employment is an independent field of research that attracts scientists from different spheres and disciplines: from economics and anthropology to gender research, politology, sociology and city planning. Due to the fact that sizes and composition of informal employment, causes of its arising and consequences, lines of impact and interconnection with other figures are different, the author took analysis of documents of strategic planning and goals of national development of the Russian Federation up to 2024 as a starting point for shaping the structure of the system of indicators. In the research indicators of social and economic development were grouped by blocks corresponding to lines in national projects and supplemented by the block of indicators characterizing the macro-economic situation. This categorization based on priorities of national development fosters conclusion drawing with due regard to human capital, comfortable environment for life and economic growth.

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that there is currently no clear socio-philosophical interpretation of informal employment. This is evidenced by the direct analysis of the literature on the stated problems, as well as the low research activity of scientists in various forms of organizing scientific activities (conferences, round tables, symposiums, etc.). at the same time, a lack of understanding of the internal content of this phenomenon can lead to serious socio-economic, political, ethical and other problems in society. The purpose of the study is to identify the essence of informal employment and establish the comparability of the concepts of «work», «employment», «work». Dialectical and formal-logical research methods are used with partial use of the functional analysis method and the system approach method. In the course of the work, the author argues for differences in social phenomena described by such concepts as «employment», «informal employment», «informal and shadow economy», and identifies the reasons for the emergence and functioning of informal labor relations. In order to reveal the content of the «informal employment of the population» construct itself, such elements as an economic entity (organizational unit), a business entity (employed person), and an activity (the process of creating a product or service) are highlighted. Based on the analysis of the essential characteristics of labor, employment and work, the necessity of limiting the concept of informal labor in relation to informal employment is justified. In the process of historical analysis of the employment process focuses on the transition from industrial to post-industrial stage of development of social relations, changing the culture of production and consumption, the destruction of domestic social organizations. Some stereotypes of behavior and thinking of modern informally employed workers are revealed. It is argued that modern socio-economic conditions have formed the prerequisites for the development of informal relations in the field of labor. This makes it necessary to develop a set of measures to prevent significant changes in labor standards; to develop mechanisms for transferring informal employment to employment permitted by law and preventing its transfer to the sphere of criminal activity. As a recommendation indicates the importance of the correct approach to the problems of informal employment, as distorted information would lead to knowingly making incorrect decisions during the implementation of state programs of development of the labour market and employment and other strategic programs of optimization of various spheres of life of the population.

The article considers the development of self-employment in the contemporary society: the history of its representation in legal norms and practices; the scope of informal employment according to statistical and sociological data; definitions of self-employment in the scientific literature. The self-employed are usually defined as not employed in organizations but independently selling goods and services produced by themselves. The global number of the self-employed grows. The authors present an algorithm for calculating the indicator potential self-employed based on the secondary analysis of the 27th wave of the RLMS (2018), and stress the lack of a unified methodology for calculating informal employment. According to the official data, the number of the self-employed in Russia ranges from several thousands to several millions, which confuses researchers who study this phenomenon. The article focuses on the results of the study Self-Employed: Who Are They? (Moscow, 2019), whose object were not potential but real self-employed selected on the basis of online advertisements of their services in Moscow. The authors collected information with the method of semi-formalized telephone interview. Based on the collected data, the authors make conclusions about motivating and demotivating factors of self-employment: independence, freedom in planning time and activity, distrust in the state, lack of social guarantees, unpredictable legislation, and imperfect tax system. Today, the status of the self-employed in Russia is still unclear and often substitutes the individual entrepreneur status in order to apply for tax preferences.

Purpose of the study. The possibilities for the implementation of national and regional strategic objectives depend on the compliance of the measures taken with the chosen development path. The set of measures includes managerial decisions in the field of labor market regulation and concerning the legalization of informal employment. To make managerial decisions on the regulation of the labor market at the regional level, an objective statistical assessment of the relationship between informal employment and indicators of socio-economic development is required.The information basis for the regulation of informal employment should be quantitatively assessed stable regularities of the relationship between the parameters of informal employment and the structural and dynamic characteristics of economic growth and development. To identify and evaluate these statistical patterns, based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service in a regional context, a system of statistical indicators has been developed and significant factors of informal employment and socio-economic development have been identified. Given the heterogeneity of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in terms of the scale and structure of informal employment, the distribution of regions into homogeneous groups is required. The article describes the approaches to the classification of Russian regions, taking into account the level of socio-economic development and the structure of informal employment.Materials and methods. The article examines an approach to the distribution of regions into homogeneous groups using the methods of cluster analysis based on a group of indicators characterizing those employed in the informal sector, which is based on the assumption that the indicators of informal employment are causally related to indicators of socio-economic development.Results. Five groups of regions are obtained, homogeneous in terms of the structural characteristics of informal employment and generalized factors of socio-economic development. For the purposes of further interpretation, the selected groups are assessed and ranked relative to the average Russian level of socio-economic development: low level (8 regions), below average (26 regions), average (41 regions), above average (8 regions), high level (2 regions) ...Conclusion. The resulting classification of Russian regions is a transitional stage to the construction of an econometric model of the relationship between informal employment and indicators of socio-economic development. Further analysis will allow us to assess which indicators have the greatest multiplier effect on the regional economy and to obtain a quantitative assessment of this impact on its growth.

The study aims at assessing the prevalence of informal employment in the Russian labour market and evaluating its relationship with the risks of monetary poverty. Empirically, the study bases on the data of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS HSE) for 2000-2020. Calculations have shown that over the past 20 years, on average, about a quarter of Russian employees were included in the informal labour market for their main or secondary employment. The results of the study provide some evidence on the existence of several zones of informality in the Russian labour market, in which there are different motives for deformalization, in particular: low-skilled employment in the informal sector, employment only in the format of informal part-time / side jobs ("casual employment") and partial departure to the informal sector while maintaining an official employment contract at the main place of work. Employment with part or all of the pay for the main job received informally -- that is, without a formal contract or with declared wages below the actual wage received, in violation of current regulations -- is more common among men, young people and people of early working age, and as well as citizens with education below vocational secondary. At the same time, women, people aged 30-49, and citizens with vocational secondary education predominate in the structure of informally employed, although with a slight preponderance. Regression analysis shows that there is a statistically significant relationship between involvement in the informal labour market and the risks of monetary poverty: fully informal employment in 2019 is associated with higher chances of the respondent's household falling into poverty, and with lower chances in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conditions of globalization, computerization of work places, use of flexible forms of employment it is necessary to design new radical solution aimed at regulating and stabilizing the situation connected with the rise in informal employment of the population. The article provides author’s mechanism of regulating informal employment on Russian labour market, which covers tools being used now and those put forward by the author: a new form of individuals’ work, i. e. state-freelance partnership and a tool of regulating social and labour relations on federal, regional and municipal levels on the basis of studying international and Russian normative and legal acts in the field of employment. The key goal of the mechanism is to involve informally employed population in work based on official conditions of employment. This mechanism is not a drastic solution for struggling informal employment, it is aimed at raising the work force interest in leaving the shadow employment. In unfavorable economic conditions connected with the corona-virus infection, reducing the number of jobs, loss of work by people this mechanism can act as a program of improving the situation on Russian labour market. State support in this period can raise loyalty to measures introduced by the government, whose aim is to regulate informal employment.

The article discusses how to ensure stable employment in single-industry towns. The Russian labour market has changed significantly due to the transition to a digital society, which transforms both communication technologies and the motivation of labour behaviour. A widespread introduction of non-standard forms of employment has both positive effects and negative risks. To minimize such risks, it is necessary to find mechanisms to increase the economic and social security of standard and non-standard employees. For examining precarious employment, we used studies of foreign and Russian authors, focusing on the characteristics of employment in single-industry towns. Despite the variety of conditions, which are necessary for the socio-economic development of single-industry towns and forms of employment, we hypothesise that it is possible to develop a unified approach, combining standard and non-standard employment. We demonstrated that the situation, on the labour market in single-industry towns remains tense. In such towns, the number of employed population is decreasing, while their working and employment conditions are getting worse. Thus, we suggest developing the policy of employment management in single-industry towns using a system of measures aimed at forming balanced standard and non-standard employment. At the regional level, the research results can be applied for elaborating proposals for reducing tension in labour markets of single-industry towns.

It is currently impossible to analyse the socio-economic situation and the budgets of the Russian regions without taking into account the problems of informal employment. There is a wide variety of publications on this topic. However, they do not sufficiently address the regional features and reasons for the behaviour of economic entities, which do not wish to comply with the legalization requirements. We conducted the research based on the neoliberal concept, which considers the informal sector as a consequence of the excessive regulation and state taxation. We hypothesise that the existence of informal employment in the region results in a budget deficit and requires the development of measures promoting the legalization of self-employed income. The study determined the level and causes of the regional informal employment, and assessed its impact on the budget. As a research methodology, we applied empirical methods, statistical, economic and financial analysis. The survey of the population of the Khanty-Mansy Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, established the nature and the main causes of informal employment. Based on the analysis of the regional budget and labour resources, we have examined the impact of informal employment on the budget and determined its cumulative effect. Finally, we have proposed a methodology for assessing how the existing level of self-employment influences the regional budget. This methodology takes into account not only the damage caused to the regional budget revenue due to the lack of tax payments, but also the damage associated with excessive social expenditures on the self-employed population. The research results can be used for developing the projects aimed at reducing informal employment at all levels of government.

The article studies the notion of informal employment, its essence, types, structure and methodological approaches to its registration and evaluation. Different ways of defining informal employment were investigated by using various criteria, such as the type and status of the enterprise, employment, institutional standards and informal economy. Social and economic consequences of informal employment development were found, as well as its role on labour market, which fosters (in line with negative factors) a drop in actual unemployment, a decrease in tension and a rise in competition. The experience of different countries connected with cutting informal employment was studied and a conclusion was drawn about the necessity to design and adopt a complex approach that combines legal, administrative and economic steps aimed at elimination of this phenomenon. The author substantiates the necessity of complex policy covering different fields of regulation together with mechanisms of stimulation and punishment, broader goals for institution upgrading, economic reforms and changing social norms, lowering tolerance to informal labour relations. The article analyzes structural reforms taking place on labour market in Uzbekistan that are aimed at liberalization and meet international standards, including organizational and legal, which could create a favourable environment for cutting the informal employment rate. Within the frames of the research recommendations were worked out for cutting the informal employment rate with regard to global experience.

The article studies the interconnection between reforms in the system of labour taxation, included in the income tax of individuals and contributions to social insurance and welfare of citizens and the dynamics of informal employment in Russia, calculated by human resource balance. The analysis leaned on the hypothesis about the exceptional impact of tax burden on the rate of informal employment, which in case of rising tax burden on the official sector acts as a tool of cutting costs for business and becomes a part of survival strategy for the population. In order to get the most reliable empiric data the dynamics of informal employment was calculated by human resource balance as a difference between the total number of those employed in economy and the average membership of the corporate sector. By the comparative analysis of labour taxation systems of OESR country-members the following conclusion was drawn: the current characteristics of the national system of taxation in the field of employment together with unfavourable factors of the home labour market push both employers and employees to informal employment. The retrospective analysis of results of the most important taxation initiatives in reducing and raising the tax burden on labour showed that resolving the problem is possible in the field of strengthening the labour market institutions together with the development and adoption of the long-term taxation policy in respect of citizens’ income of employment.

The article is devoted to the analysis of changes due to the influence of digitalisation in the sphere of employment and socio-labour relations. The author considered various estimates of the size of technological unemployment as a result of automation and robotisation of the production of goods and services. Also, the author presented the strategic development goals of the Russian Federation and developed by the government the national projects in 12 areas. In particular, the author analysed the project “Productivity and employment support”, which fully or partially reflect most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) adopted at the UN General Assembly. The article presents the possible directions of the government’s activity and the main actions that will contribute to economic growth. The article emphasises the need to accelerate the adaptation of Russian education to the changes taking place in the economy, the use of new training technologies and best teaching practices, the introduction of new forms of cooperation between the state and business in the field of training and retraining of personnel.

The article is aimed at identifying the «weak» spots of payment for the students’ labor together with types of violations of labor legislation by employers in the employment of students, elabortating recommendations to prevent violations on the part of employers. The article also estimates the wages of students in our country. To analyze the current status of employment of students in the city of Kyiv and the employers’ compliance with labor legislation in the employment, the authors conducted a sociological study. It is determined that 62% of students earn less than they need to provide decent living conditions. It is also defined that the majority of respondents faced violations of the labor legislation. Among the threats of employment of students, the authors allocate the following: unpaid test period (probation), non-payment of wages for the work done, unpaid overtime, reduction of wages without good reason, refusal to pay official salary at dismissal, informal employment with salary in envelopes. A list of norms that every employer should know and comply with in the employment of a student is drawn up. Still the best way to «insure» any student from violations is their formal employment.

The author’s tool, whose main task is to attract informally employed people to carry out their activities through the new employment model has been presented. This tool is not a radical solution to combat informal employment, but rather a gentle measure, aimed at increasing the interest of the economically active population to quit shadow employment. In the age of modern technologies, when the problem of computerization of workplaces is relevant, the form of the state-freelance partnership, underlying the proposed tool, will help the population to legalize their income with the least barriers to entry.

The article presents the results of a qualitative study on the characteristics of economic behavior of residents of the Donbas front-line zones. It is proved that a high fate of the shadow economics sector exists Ukraine. It is emphasized that illegal and semi-legal incomes are an integral part of everyday life. Practices of informal employment, tax evasion, bribery and the phenomenon of double social dependence are considered as indicators of monitoring of this problem. Based on the attitude to the problem of informal employment, two groups of respondents were identified. For the respondents who work, this phenomenon does not cause severe condemnation and in some cases is an acceptable form of behavior. Students, who are still in the care of their parents and are only hypothetically familiar with the problems of finding a job, consider it unacceptable not to formalize labor relations. The motivation for doing so is not the loss that such practices bear to the state, for example, in the form of non-payment of taxes, but personal interests (pensions, paid leave, etc.). It was emphasized that the absence of a severe condemnation of informal employment and the declaration of the acceptability of such a form of employment indicate a loyal attitude to the practice of avoiding payment of taxes . This attitude to taxes is already an integral part of the economic culture of our country’s population. It is established that the respondents condemn bribery. At the same time, they admit that people can not do anything without it living in our society. Responsibility for the dissemination of this phenomenon relies mainly on the system. Such an assessment of bribery shows that the majority of respondents are not ready to start fighting with it, because it simplifies the solution of problems in everyday life. In the front-line zones of the Donbass there is a phenomenon of double social dependence, to which the population is ambiguous. It was emphasized that the constant migration of the population from uncontrolled and controlled territories (to the Ukrainian authorities) is a source of illegal and semi-legal incomes. The article outlines the prospects for further study of the phenomenon of double social dependence, namely: the identification of the origins of this phenomenon; establishing a network of agents involved; recording of the dynamics of public assessment.

The aim of the study is to analyze the extent of the presence of migrants and their behavior in the Russian labor market on the basis of largescale sociological surveys of migrants. This is especially important in the absence of reliable statistics on migrants in the labor market. The main attention is paid to the employment profiles of representatives of various socio-demographic and ethnic groups, illegal and informal employment, the intensity and wages of migrants from countries with a visa-free regime with Russia. Particular attention is paid to labor mobility of migrants. The main empirical basis for analysis was the results of sociological polls conducted by the Center for Ethnopolitical and Regional Studies for the Higher School of Economics in 2011. (8,5 thousand respondents) and in 2017 (8,6 thousand migrants in 19 regions of Russia). The study showed that education, qualifications, professional knowledge of migrants are not in demand on the Russian market, the typical path of migrants in the labor market is downward labor mobility – occupying a job that is worse than previously occupied in the homeland. At the same time, migrants are adapted to changes in the labor market, which is largely facilitated by the differentiation of migrant employment and the vertical mobility of some of them. Innovations in Russian legislation which came into force in 2015, as well as the integration process within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEA), which greatly facilitated access to jobs in Russia for citizens of the countries of the EEA, had a positive impact on the Russian labor market. The share of illegally employed migrants has significantly decreased in comparison with previous years. At the same time, the problem of informal employment of foreign citizens, excessive exploitation of migrant labor remains. The problems of combating forced labor of migrants and ensuring their decent labor come to the fore. Civilized conditions should be created for the legalization of labor activity of migrants, stimulating their reorientation to integrate into Russian society. The most serious attention should be paid to preventing the social exclusion of migrants to work in Russia, creating effective tools for their secondary socialization and adaptation to Russian realities.

In this study the aim was to determine of options for increasing insurance contributions to the Russian pension system.. As a reserve for growth of revenues to the pension system are considered, the growth in the number of employees (payers of fees) through the legalization of informal employment. The paper is formulated and solved an optimization problem of the legalization of the informal economy in the framework of the current PAYG pension system while raising the level of pensions up to 40% of lost earnings in the context of economic activities and the subjects of the Russian Federation. It’s was built an optimization problem of nonlinear programming on the basis of balance equations of a distributive pension system. The paper presents a number of calculations on the basis of which conclusions are made. First, to increase the level of pensions in Russia, such a reserve as the legalization of informal employment is significant, but insufficient. Secondly, a 40% wage replacement rate can be achieved only in case of virtually complete legalization of population employment in the informal sector. Thirdly, the authors identified the particular characteristics of informal employment legalization in specific economic activities and subjects of the Russian Federation

The article presents the study on the problems of imbalances in the Russian pension system, which prevent ensuring the provision of decent pensions for the population at a level that is adequate to their labor contribution. In this study, the authors set a goal of substantiating proposals for building a balanced pension system in Russia. They considered the possibility of increasing the number of workers (contributors to the pension system) by legalizing the informal employment as a reserve for increasing the receipts of insurance contributions to the pension system. In performing of the study was tested the working hypothesis, which is: to ensure a balanced pension system in Russia and raise the pensions, such reserve of increasing the number of contributors as the legalization of informal employment is sufficient. The article set and addressed the optimization problem of legalizing the informal sector of the Russian economy within the existing unfunded pension system in case of raising the pensions to 40% of lost earnings. The authors built a non-linear programming optimization problem based on the balance equation of unfunded pension system. They presented a number of test estimates and conclusions drawn on their basis. First, to ensure a balanced pension system in Russia and raise the pensions, such reserve for increasing the number of contributors as the legalization of informal employment is significant but not sufficient. Secondly, a 40% wage replacement rate can be achieved only in case of virtually complete legalization of population employment in the informal sector. Thirdly, the authors identified the particular characteristics of informal employment legalization in specific economic activities.

Topic. The research object of the article is informal employment of the population of the Russian Federation. The authors assessed the magnitude of this phenomenon in the period from 2005 to 2015. We analyse the age structure, educational level, status of the population involved in informal activities, regional characteristics of the spread of this phenomenon, and made grouping of Russian regions by share of employed in the informal sector. At the end we make the final selection of the demographic, economic, social and financial factors influencing the proportion of the population engaged in informal activities.Purpose. The purpose of the study is to establish dependence between the selected indicators and the level of informal employment, as well as assessment of the impact of informal employment on the socio-economic development of the country and the state of public finances.Methodology. The study is based on statistical methods: data grouping, analysis of indexes’ dynamics, one-factor analysis of variance. Evaluation of the relationship between variables was carried out based on the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The association was considered significant at p

The study is concerned with the employment of retirement age persons in the Russian Federation. The economic crisis of the recent years has reduced the federal budget and the Russin Pension Fund revenues. This fact brings forward the issue of raising the retirement age, payment and indexation of pensions. Increasing the generally established retirement age leads to more payers to pension funds and less old-age pensioners. However, one should not expect a serious increase of the state budget since, firstly, part of old-age pensioners continue to work and, secondly, not all persons reaching the retirement age will continue their work because of the growing unemployment. The authors have analyzed the structure of pensioner employment by gender, pension types, length of service after being granted a retirement pension, economic activities and education. The dynamics of the average pension compared to the average wage and disposable incomes of the population are studied. The indices of substitution of pensions and the subsistence minimum value for wages are identified and analyzed.

The article reveals the issues of the global character of precarization and substantiates the criteria of precarious employment taking into account its special aspects in Russian Federation. The existing variability of approaches to the definition of precarious employment and the necessity to elaborate its optimal criteria in view of features of national labour have conditioned the relevance of the research. The paper involves international and Russian research on precarity and significantly uses the results of expert survey conducted by the authors in autumn 2016. The experts have considered groups of criteria based on: labour contract term, nature of labour relations, precarious terms of work. The experts also were asked to evaluate different forms of employment in which precarity may exert. As a result of the conducted research, we have elaborated the generalized criteria, which identify various forms of instability in labour market. The authors put forward a hypothesis that the criteria of the International Labour Organization (ILO) need to be adapted to the Russian realities when determining unstable employment, and the phenomenon of precarious employment has to be defined from the point of view of the probabilistic nature of its various manifestations. Based on the results of the research, the authors have qualified the relevance of International Labour Organization’s (ILO) criteria in the Russian context. We also have substantiated the probable character of precarious employment and defined probability of precarity exertion in the flexible forms of employment. The set of precarious employment criteria is specified in accordance with Russian context: we have clarified and complemented them, and defined the probability of precarity exertion in different forms of employment. The main result of the research is the structure of criterial standards, which identifies precarious employment.The conceptual issues and findings of the paper can be used as a theoretical and methodological basis to identify the scale of precarious employment in Russia as well as to evaluate precarity exertion in individual workplace.

The article deals with an acute problem of informal employment in Moscow, which provides an opportunity to see a real situation with regard to respondents' and experts' opinion. The author identifies forms and types of shadow employment, shows its reasons and direct and indirect signs. She researches the involvement of workers in settlement of the problem by official employment and difficulties encountered by employers in case of 'grey scheme' application. The article analyzes the shift to new systems of payment as a possible way of reducing the level of informal employment.

The article considers consequences of proliferation of the illegal employment in Ukraine, which are classified by the levels of administration – international, macro, meso, micro, and personal level, further by the public institutions – the State employment service, system of compulsory social insurance, pension system, judiciary, trade unions etc. The article analyzes the legislative documents as to their contribution to unshadowing the employment and legalization of wages. It has been determined that employers that provide illegal employment can be subject to administrative responsibility, criminal liability, and penalties. But, despite the available demotivators towards the illegal employment in the national legislation, its volume remains significant. Therefore we suggest the following activities to be necessary: informing citizens about the legal liability for illegal employment, activation of bodies of the State supervision and monitoring of violations of labor laws as well as working groups on legalization of the payment of wages and employment.

Abstract. Defined the tendencies of functioning of the informal economy on the basis of the proposed methodological approach by combining the method of informal employment (according to the materials of the State statistics service of Ukraine) and the method of income earned in the informal sector (own calculations with the use of expert evaluation). Analyzed the dynamics of the informal economy by signs of place of residence, age characteristics and education level of the population. Investigated the quantitative and qualitative aspects of employment in the informal sector of the economy, and grounded the necessity of creating preconditions for the prevention of processes of growth of the informal sector of the economy.

The article examines the main indicators of the labor market in Russia given the global economic crisis. The main factors contributing to the slowdown in the growth rate of unemployment. Analyzed the degree of influence the diff erentiation of pay levels by type of economic activity to changes in the employment structure. Analyzed the level of employment in the informal sector of economy of Russia for 2007-2013 Studied the reasons for the growth of informal employment in Russia. As a result of the analysis the conclusion is made about the need to reduce informal employment.

Domestic temporary labor migration is a phenomenon of pro-active forced circular departure from home, where the labor market had collapsed, to work in economically developed regions. Experts’ estimates of this phenomenon magnitude vary, but practically all of them admit its substantial impact on labor market on the one hand, and on social and economic processes in the province on the other hand. The scales and the complexity of this problem cause its importance both for the researches and the state. However, this phenomenon is studied fragmentarily, compared to more “visible” cross-border and commuter migration: the official statistics accounting agencies don’t record such a migration. Due to the same reason migrants’ activity is not regulated by the state. Observations on this specific type of migration allows finding out substantial concordance of domestic temporary labor migrants’ and historical peasants-otkhodniks’ characteristics. At the same time, the phenomenon of both new and historical otkhodnichestvo is similar to soviet «shabashnichestvo» on its characteristics. The article deals with the analysis of the contemporary otkhodnichestvo as a traditional subsistence pattern in the Russian province.