Regional features of foreign labor quotas in Russia

This study focuses on the analysis of the foreign labor quota mechanism, which is legally regulated and enables a controlled influx of migrants. Unlike the patent system, foreign nationals arriving under quotas in response to requests from regional employers generally possess a higher skill level. The aim of the study is to assess the spatial and professional heterogeneity of the labor migrant quota system in Russia from 2017 to 2024. The findings revealed four groups of regions exhibiting varying degrees of need for foreign labor in local job markets and differing patterns of demand for it. Furthermore, we conducted a comparison of the professional and skill composition of quotas across these regional groups. Although a preliminary analysis of the quota structure indicates that most allocated slots are for skilled worker and specialist professions, a diversification of positions exists across regions. The group of regions characterized by a high intensity of foreign labor recruitment with unstable demand shows a need for workers in mining and construction, and a higher share of quotas for managers at various levels of structural divisions compared to other regional groups. For the group of regions with a high intensity of foreign labor recruitment and stable demand, a service-oriented focus in attracting international specialists is more typical. Conversely, groups with a low intensity of foreign labor recruitment, regardless of the nature of demand (stable/unstable), are characterized by an indistinct professional structure for such specialists. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the quota system as a tool for actively managing the qualitative structure of labor migration, which can be used to improve quota allocation mechanisms in the context of labor shortages in local job markets.