ABSTRACT
The study was aimed at conducting a comprehensive analysis of the long-term dynamics of the labor market in the Russian regions, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented state policy to maintain employment and reduce unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of long-term trends in the labor market allowed the authors to identify and assess the “tension” points of the current model of the Russian labor market including a decrease in the number of employed in 2010–2019, a decline in the level of employment in the regions, a reduced average annual number of employed in the system-forming sectors of the economy (agriculture, manufacturing, education, and healthcare), the existence of a discrepancy between the level of official and hidden unemployment. The authors calculated the level of tension in the labor market and formed a relevant rating of Russian regions. The authors assessed the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the long-term dynamics of the Russian labor market at the federal district level. The mass transfer of employees to remote work mode required the implementation of emergency measures to stimulate employment in the regions. The authors propose a set of measures to overcome the reduction in the level of employment and the growth of unemployment in the long term to form an effective model of the Russian labor market. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.