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Labour mobility: Preparedness to move to find a new job

Region Willing to move %    % Russian mean
West Siberia 29 168
North Caucasus 20 120
Northern 19 113
Far East 19 112
East Siberia 18 104
RUSSIAN MEAN 17 100
Central 17 98
North-west 16 92
Urals 15 89
Central Black Earth 12 70
Volgo-Vyatka 12 69
Volga 10 61
Source: VCIOM.  Russian nationwide surveys, 1997.

In theory, people who lose their job can move to another city to find work.  But this assumes that jobs are there; in Russia today,  this is hardly the case.   It also assumes that people can easily find a place to live and move their family.  But in Russia there is not a proper housing market, and individuals depend on informal networks of family support to supplement or replace wages, and these are usually lost by moving cities.  Hence, only 17 per cent in the labour force are prepared to move cities to seek a new job.  The readiness to move is highest in West Siberia, and the resistance to move is strongest in the Volgo-Vyatka and Volga regions.


CSPP School of Government & Public Policy U. of Strathclyde Glasgow G1 1XQ Scotland
Email: cspp@strath.ac.uk