Effectiveness of labor market regulation in the region (case study of crisis response measures)

The paper analyzes public administration efficiency in the social and labor sphere. It examines main theoretical and methodological approaches to the concept of “administration effectiveness” depending on different criteria such as the status of the managed object, internal effectiveness of management, social effectiveness, achievement of the target values of indicators, the “cost-result” ratio. The author attempts to analyze a relative effectiveness of labor market management in Russia in each of the federal districts and in the regions of the Northwestern Federal District with special attention paid to the situation in the Vologda Oblast. The article gives a general description of the main crisis response measures that Russia’s regions apply in an effort to reduce tensions at their labor markets: proactive training of the workers who are at risk of being dismissed; promotion of self-employment; organization of public works; promotion of employment of persons with disabilities. The effectiveness of these measures is assessed through the cost-effective method, because it is usable and the relevant official statistics is easy to access. On the basis of the data analysis the author presents a rating of relative effectiveness of labor market policy in the federal districts and in the regions of the Northwestern Federal District. The study reveals the following features of anti-crisis regulation of the labor market: significant regional differences in the costs per participant, gradual decrease in the relative effectiveness of labor market regulation, reduction of the list of events, abrupt changes in the positions of territories in the rating. It is proposed to enhance the monitoring of the program measures aimed to stabilize the situation on the labor market at the regional level. This requires that the information concerning the expenditures on the development of the labor market be included in the public accounting of state authorities that regulate social and labor relations in the Russian Federation subjects.