The Impact of Low Employment Income on Subjective Assessments of the Standard and Quality of Life in Households of Public Sector Workers in the Republic of Bashkortostan

This article presents the results of an analysis of sociological survey data collected between 2021 and 2024 among public sector workers in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The study aims to analyze the impact of low employment income on the subjective assessments of the standard and quality of life among these workers' households. The research reveals the interconnections between professional identity, income level, and coping strategies. The study finds that low earnings from work not only determine the limited purchasing power of households but also shape undervalued assessments of social status and promote the choice of survival strategies over professional development. Nominal wage growth fails to outpace inflation, and extensive work experience does not guarantee financial stability, leading to a devaluation of professional identity. The results indicate the formation of a vicious cycle where even long professional tenure does not ensure financial security, and professional identity, traditionally a significant status marker, loses its value. Material factors dominate work motivation, especially among low-income groups, compelling workers to opt for survival strategies instead of professional self-realization. Gender pay asymmetry persists, and adaptation strategies are polarized across income groups. The research confirms the structural nature of working poverty. Addressing it requires comprehensive institutional reforms: modernizing the wage system, developing targeted support programs (retraining, soft loans), and enhancing the social prestige of socially significant professions. According to the authors, without such reforms, the public sector risks turning into a "poverty trap," which could have negative consequences for the development of human capital and long-term socio-economic development of both the regions and the country as a whole.