A new form of employment in the region (using the example of Wildberries)

The article discusses platform employment practices of Buryatia residents on the example of Wildberries. The analysis of statistical data in the republic over the last decade shows a decrease in the number of employed people and an increase in unemployment against the background of the limited labor market, the predominance of low-paid vacancies and difficulties with employment. At the same time, the digitalization and the COVID-19 pandemic have created prerequisites for finding more profitable areas of employment through online platforms. In-depth interviews conducted with entrepreneurs of the republic have shown that collaboration with Wildberries was forced, but proved successful primarily for large entrepreneurs; for others, along with gaining online business experience and changing their line of business, it created a real opportunity to experience many of the risks and limitations and even to stop working with the platform.