Impact of coronаvirus pandemic on the labor market of the Republic of Buryatia

One of the most affected fields by the rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is the employment sector. This article is devoted to the topical issues of the impact of the new coronavirus infection on the labor market of the Republic of Buryatia and to the assessment of the possible consequences for the regional economy. The author analyzes the current situation in the regional labor market based on Buryatstat and the Republican Agency for Employment of the Population data. A decrease in employment is revealed against the background of an increase in general unemployment and an unprecedented growth in officially registered unemployment which peaked in June 2020. Among the reasons for the rapid growth in the level of registered unemployment are a reduction in the number of vacancies in the labor market of Buryatia, its «clarification» and an increase in social protection of an employee in the status of a registered unemployed. A slowdown in the rate of recovery of the labor market which began in June, and an increase in unemployment, primarily officially registered, are predicted.