Economic Policy, Industrial Structure, and Unemployment in Russia's Regions

The formation of an efficient employment structure as an important factor stabilizing the situation in regional labor markets and its impact on labor markets' behavior are studied. Theoretical and empirical analysis of regional labor market differences and the factors causing these differences are used to assess the structural imbalance in Russia's transition economy. By making cluster and discriminant analyses, the authors provide alternative classifications of the regions and estimate the impact of specific regional factors such as the structure of industry employment and economic policy on regional level on labor markets behavior.