Labor market of the Sverdlovsk region: current state and prospects

The article is devoted to assessing the current state of the labor market in the Sverdlovsk region and its development prospects with the account of the situation in the regional economy. It provides analysis of the regional labor market from 2009 to the present and evaluation of the probable changes in its separate characteristics until 2023. The current problems of the labor market are highlighted. There are outlined the primary tasks that should be solved by the state authorities, municipalities, educational organizations and employers to ensure adequate conditions for effective functioning of the labor market. In order to assess the situation on the labor market a SWOT analysis was carried out, which was based on the results of rapid foresight “Employment in the Urals region”. The analysis showed that in the region there is still a shortage of qualified personnel in more than 70 occupations and specialties, the existing system of vocational education does not fully meet the needs of enterprises for skilled workers and specialists, that aggravates the problems of employment of graduates of educational institutions. Personnel provision of the economy of the Sverdlovsk region is worsened by the territorial imbalance of labor resources and the concentration of demand and supply of labor in certain localities. The directions for minimizing the problems in the region’s labor market in the medium term are proposed. They are related to bringing the educational services market in line with the current and future needs of the regional labor market, developing the materal and technical base of professional educational organizations in the Sverdlovsk region, and raising the efficiency of vocational guidance for young people. There are also formulated recommendations for development of dual education in the region, which will increase the efficiency of training on the order of employers.