Practices of informal employment of workers in the labor market in the Russian context

Abstract: 
The growth of informal employment recorded by Rosstat in recent years is a matter of concern for both policy-makers and labor market researchers. The article analyzes, based on official statistical data, a number of cases in which the informants worked in the informal sector, and / or combined formal and informal employment, at micro level of text analysis of interviews. The research material is from the project “Trajectories of life courses for Petersburgers in post-Soviet Russia: intergenerational analysis 2014-2017” Informal practices are seen as compromises of formal rules and social norms, the diversity of which is due to the inefficiency labor legislation, the weakness and selectivity of the fiscal control of their enforcement.. Low quality of the institutional environment while the formal sector is reduced or at risk of reduction encourages both employers and employees to informal practices and to cope with their difficulties outside the government regulations.

Keywords:

doi: 

10.25990/socinstras.pss-12.68yt-n038

For citation: Eremicheva G.V., Mannila S. Practices of informal employment of workers in the labor market in the Russian context. St. Petersburg Sociology Today. 2019. N. 12. P. 47-74. DOI:10.25990/socinstras.pss-12.68yt-n038

File: 
PDF icon 2019-12-03.pdf
References: 
  • Anisimov R. I. Trud v epoxu neopredelennosti [Labor in an era of uncertainty]. Sociologicheskie issledovaniya. 2017. No. 11. p. 45-53. (in Russian)
  • Anisimov R. I., Kasyanova E. A. Effektivnost gosudarstvennogo regulirovaniya nestandartnoj zanyatosti v rossijskoj federacii [Efficiency of state regulation of non-standard employment in the Russian Federation]. Vestnik RGGU. Seriya «Filosofiya. Sociologiya. Iskusstvovedenie». 2018. № 2 (12). p. 9-22. DOI: 10.28995/2073-6401-2018-2-9-22 (in Russian)
  • Barsukova    S. V. Neformalnaya ekonomika: ekonomiko-sociologicheskijanaliz [Informal Economy: economic and sociological analysis] Izd.dom GVSsE. М.: 2004. Date of access: 03.07.2019. URL: https://www.hse.ru/data/2012/11/20/1244927443/%D0 % 9D%D0 %B5 %D1 %84 %D0 %BE%D1 %80 %D0 %BC%D0 %B0 %D0 %BB%D1 %8C%D0 %BD%D0 %B0 %D1 %8F%20 %D1 %8D%D0 %BA%D0 %BE%D0 %BD%D0 %BE%D0 %BC%D0 %B8 %D0 %BA%D0 %B0.pdf (in Russian).
  • Barsukova S. V. Neformalnaya ekonomika: ponyatiya, istoriya izucheniya, issledovatelskie podxody [Informal economics: concepts, study history, research approaches]. Sociologicheskie issledovaniy. 2012.№ 2.p. 31-39. Date of access: 01.07.2019. URL: https://publications.hse.ru/articles/59195505 (in Russian)
  • Barsukova S. V., Radaev V. V. Neformalnaya ekonomika v rossii: kratkij obzor [The informal economy in Russia: a brief overview]. Ekonomicheskaya sociologiya Т. 13. № 2. Март 2012. p. 99-111. Date of access: 01.07.2019. URL: https://ecsoc.hse.ru/data/2012/06/29/1255784750/ecsoc_ t13_n2.pdf (in Russian)
  • Barsukova S. V. Esse o neformalnoj ekonomike ili 16 ottenkov serogo [Essay on the informal economy or 16 shades of gray].M.: litagent «Vysshej shkoly ekonomiki». 2015216p. (in Russian).
  • Bbobkov V. N. Kvachev v. g., Loktyuxina N. V. Neustojchivaya zanyatost: ekonomi-ko-sociologicheskij genezis ponyatiya [Unsustainable employment: the economic and sociological genesis of the concept]. Vestnik vgu. seriya «ekonomika i upravlenie». 2016. № 4. p. 81-86. Date of access 010.06.2019. URL: http://www.vestnik.vsu.ru/content/ econ/2016/04/toc_ru.asp (in Russian).
  • Gimpelson V. E., Kapelyushnikov R. I. nestandartnaya zanyatost i rossijskij rynok truda. [Precarious work and the Russian labor market]. Preprint wp3/2005/05. M.: Gu vshe 2005-36 p. Date of access 01.07.2019. URL: http://www.hse.ru/data/2013/03/27/1295756417/ WP3_2005_05.pdf (in Russian)
  • Gimpelson V. E., Zudina A. A. «Neformaly» v rossijskoj ekonomike: skolko ix i kto oni? [“Informals” in the Russian economy: how many of them and who are they?]. M.: Izd. dom “Vysshej shkoly ekonomiki”. 2011-60 p. Date of access: 21.07.2019. URL: https://www.hse.ru/data/2011/07/27/1214976212/WP3_2011_06_f.pdf (in Russian)
  • Hazans M. Informal Workers across Europe Evidence from 30 European Countries. Washington D. C.: The World Bank. 2011. PolicyResearchWork-ing Paper No. 5912. Р.44 Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5871.pdf.
  • Kagarlickij B. Y. Vosstanie srednego klassa [Uprising middle class]. M.: 2012-225 p. Date of access: 20.07.2019.URL: https://rabkrin.org/kagarlitskiy-b-yu-vosstanie-srednego-klassa-kniga/ (in Russian).
  • Kapelyushnikov R. I. Neformalnaya zanyatost v rossii: chto govoryat alternativnye opredeleniya? [Informal employment in Russia: what do alternative definitions say?]. Preprint wp3/2012/04. Seriya wp3. Pproblemy rynka truda. M.: Izd.dom «VShE» 84p. Date of access: URL: https://wp.hse.ru/data/2012/07/05/1254171141/WP3_2012_04_ ff.pdf (in Russian).
  • Kolosova E. A. Samozanyatost v sfere uslug: osobennosti trudovyx otnoshenij [Selfemployment in the service sector: features of labor relations].Vestnik RGGU. Seriya «Filosofiya. Sociologiya. Iskusstvovedenie». 2018. № 2 (12). P. 35-42. DOI: 10.28995/20736401-2018-2-35-42 (in Russian)
  • Krivickaya M. Na chto mogut rasschityvat samozanyatye [What can self-employed count on?]. “Kontur” zhurnal. Noyabr. 2018/ Date of access: 12.07.2019. URL: https://kontur.ru/ articles/4818) https://kontur.ru/articles/4818) (in Russian)
  • Kuchenkova A. V. Prekarizaciya zanyatosti v sfere sporta: usloviya i motivy truda trenerov po vozdushno-sportivnomu ekvilibru [Precarisation of employment in the field of sports: the conditions and motives of labor of trainers on air sports equilibrium]. Vestnik RGGU. Seriya «Filosofiya. Sociologiya. Iskusstvovedenie». 2018. № 2 (12). p. 23-34. DOI: 10.28995/2073-6401-2018-2-23-34 (in Russian).
  • Malevа Т. М. Srednie klassi v Rossii_ ekonomicheskie i socialnie strategii _Avtor i rukovoditel avtorskogo kollektiva,// Pod red. T. M. Malevoi. M._ Gendalf_ 2003-506 s. (in Russian).
  • Martyanov V. S. Remodernizaciya rossijskogo moderna: teoriya, praktika i/ili ritorika? [Remodeling modern Russian: theory, practice and / or rhetoric?]. Neprikosnovennyj zapas 2010, 6 (74) Date of access: 12.07.2019. URL: http://magazines.russ.ru/nz/2010/6/ma25. html (in Russian).
  • Morris J. & Polese A. Informal Economies in Post-Socialist Spaces Practices, Institutions and Networks //edited by Jeremy Morris & Abel Polse 2015 London EC1N8IS 2016) Date of access 03.07.2019. URL: https://books.google.ru/books?id=4l8MCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT308&lpg=PT308&dq=Morris+%26+Polese+2015&source=bl&ots=yYFLTEaQ9l&sig=ACfU3 U3v0zfWP_xLNvjcQC5-2BMKIZgMMA&hl=ru&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj0tPyB1Z3jAhU jwMQBHR91By4Q6AEwDHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Morris%20 %26 %20Polese%20 2015&f=false.
  • Morris J. & Polese A. The Informal Economy in Global Perspective. Varieties of Governance, edited by Abel Polese, Colin C. Williams, Ioana A. Horodnic and Predrag Bejakovic. Palgrave 2017, pp. 340. Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: http://www.google.ru/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd= 3&ved=2ahUKEwiwuJOnpaLjAhUnpYsKHeraAI4QFjACegQIAxAC&url=http%3 A%2F%2Fsiba-ese.unisalento.it%2Findex.php%2Fidps%2Farticle%2Fdownload% 2F19470 %2F16960&usg=A0vVaw1iNy0bc_-EljEHlqJ6i4ZG.
  • Nikolaeva M. I., Shevyakov A. Y. Tenevaya ekonomika: metody analiza i ocenki. [The shadow economy: methods of analysis and evaluation] M.: CEMi AN SSSR, 1987-53 p. (in Russian).
  • Mogilevskaya A., Fejnberg A., Tkachev I. Neformalnaya ekonomika v rossii vyrosla do rekordnyx razmerov [Informal economy in Russia has grown to record sizes]. RBK 17.04.2017 Date of access: 07.2019. URL: https://www.rbc.ru/economics/17/04/2017/58f4b8789a7947c1418ff1af (in Russian).
  • Pokida A. Kogo statistika nazyvaet bednym, a on im ne yavlyaetsya? [Who the statistics call the poor, but he is not]. Lenta novostej 10.02.2017 Date of access: 10.07.2019. URL: https://www.penza.kp.ru/daily/26790/3825007/ (in Russian).
  • Rabochaya sila, zanyatost i bezrabotica v rossii (po rezultatam vyborochnyx issledovanij rabochej sily 2018) [Labor, employment and unemployment in Russia (based on selective labor force studies]. M.:2018 p.95-97, p.89-101. M:. 2018. Date of access: 20.06.2019. URL: http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/doc_2018/rab_sila18.pdf (in Russian)
  • Romanov P. V., Yarskaya -Smirnova E. R. Antropologiya professij: granicy zanyatosti v epoxu nestabilnosti [The anthropology of occupations: the boundaries of employment in an era of instability]. M.: OOO «Variant», ZCPGI. 2012-236 p. (in Russian)
  • Ruvinskij V. Pochemu rastet neformalnaya zanyatost [Why informal employment grows]. «Vedomosti» 28.03.2019 Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.vedomosti.ru/opinion/ articles/2019/03/28/797584 (in Russian).
  • Safonov A. S. Otkuda v rossii stolko «rabotayushhix bednyx»? [Why are there so many “working poor” in Russia?]. «Komsomolskaya pravda» 05.02.2018 Date of access: 20.06.2019.    URL: https://www.penza.kp.ru/daily/26790/3825007/ (in Russian).
  • Somsonov V. V. Koncepciya ekspolyarnyx struktur t.shanina v issledovaniyax
  • neformalnoj ekonomiki // «ekstropolyarnye tipy socialnogo vzaimodejstviya v sovremennom rossijskom obshhestve» [The concept of the T. Shanin’s expolar structures in the research of the informal economy “Extropolar types of social interaction in modern Russian society”] N.: Uralskij Universitet. 2011-200p. Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.dissercat.com/content/ekspolyarnye-tipy-sotsialnogo-vzaimodeistviya-v-sovremennom-rossiiskom-obshchestve (in Russian)
  • Shanin T. Ekstropolyarnii struktury i neformalnaya ekonomika sovremennoj rossii. Neformalnaya ekonomika. Rossiya i mir [Expolar structures and the informal economy of modern Russia] / pod red. T. Shanina — М., 1999-235с. (in Russian).
  • Shanin T. Pochemu do six por ne umer russkij narod? Ekspolyarnye struktury i neformalnaya ekonomika sovremennoj rossii [Why is the Russian people still not dead? Expolar structures and the informal economy of modern Russia]. Zhurnal “Ekspert”, № 1-2 (213), 2000. P.5 Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.yabloko.ru/Themes/History/ Shanin/narod.html (in Russian).
  • Williams, C, C.and V. Horodnic, A. (2018). Explaining informal payments for health services in Central and Eastern Europe: an institutional asymmetry perspective. PostCommunist Economies, 30 (4) 440-458 Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://ideas.repec. org/f/pwi356.html
  • Williams, C. C. and Schneider, F (2016). Measuring the Global Shadow Economy The Prevalence of Informal Work and Labour. Edward Elgar Publishing, UK. — 256с. Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278784072.
  • Williams, C.C.; Horodnic, I. A. & Wandeband J. Evaluating the Prevalence and Distribution of Envelope Wages in the European Union Lesson from a 2013 Eurobarometer Survey // Journal of Contemporary European Research 2015. 11 (2) p.179-195 Date of access 06.07.2019.  URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278784072.
  • Williams, C.C.; Wandeband J. Evaluating competing theories of informality of informal employment: Some lessons from a 2013 European survey // International Journal of Business and Globalization. 2015.15 (1) p.45-62 Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275240807_.
  • Williams, C.C. and Horodnic, I. (2017). Tackling the informal sector in East-Central Europe. Journal of Tax Administration, 3 (2) 65-86. Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https:// www.sheffield.ac.uk/management/staff/iahorodnic/iahorodnicpublications.
  • Williams, Colin C. 2015. Tackling informal employment in developing and transition economies: a critical evaluation of the neo-liberal approach // International Journal of Business and Globalization, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, 2015 vol. 14 (3), pages 251-270. Date of access 06.07.2019. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275240807_.
  • Русский