Resources for growth: Young people outside employment and education

The Russian economy is experiencing an acute shortage of labor resources, which brings to the forefront the issue of seeking alternative sources for their replenishment. At the same time, both in Russia and abroad, a group of young people aged 15–24 who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET youth) has emerged. The need to study this group stems not only from exacerbated demographic problems but also from the risk of its further expansion, which may in the future negatively impact many socio-economic processes. The aim of the work is to assess the scale of NEET youth prevalence in Russian society, identify its characteristics, and substantiate recommendations of a tactical and strategic nature aimed at addressing the problem under study. Through an analysis of works by a number of foreign and Russian scholars, analytical materials from the International Labour Organization, as well as international and Russian statistics, it is substantiated that the NEET youth problem is highly relevant; the scale and features of NEET youth prevalence in Russia, including regional and gender dimensions, are identified. An empirical study of the characteristics and problems of NEET youth in the Russian Federation was conducted involving experts and determining mathematical relationships. This made it possible to clarify the structure of the NEET youth group in Russia, the main reasons for its formation, and to prove the degree of influence of the identified causes on the problem under study, as well as to assess the consequences of NEET youth prevalence for the domestic economy and forecast the size of this group in the medium term. Based on the study results, a list of tactical and strategic measures is substantiated, aimed at solving this problem and integrating NEET youth into the process of social reproduction. The scientific contribution of the study lies in the development of a methodological approach to assessing the extent of the spread of NEET youth in the Russian economy, based on a comprehensive analysis using statistical analysis and expert survey methods.