MPIDR Working Paper

The transition from school to work in Russia during and after socialism: change or continuity?

Bühler, C., Konietzka, D.
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2008-018, 46 pages.
Rostock, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (April 2008)
Open Access

Abstract

Russia. It compares the process of entering working life during socialism (1966-1990) and the transition period (1991-2005) by utilizing information from 6,455 males and females of the "Education and Employment Survey for Russia". The results document influences both of change and of continuity. The introduction of labor markets and a mismatch between qualifications acquired at school and demanded by employers led to increasing risks of unemployment after education and first jobs at the lower levels of the occupational hierarchy. However, as the general character of the educational system and the internal structures of many firms did not change, traditional paths of mobility from educational degrees to particular occupational positions continued to exist. Thus, the transition from school-to-work in Russia did not experience an abrupt change but a gradual adjustment to the new economic order.
Keywords: Russian Federation, early adulthood, educational systems, employment, occupational qualifications, transitional society, unemployment
The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. It's part of the Max Planck Society, the internationally renowned German research society.