Empirical Analysis of Employees With Tertiary Education Occupational Imbalances

Abstract

High percentage of graduates (among the highest in the world) with university degrees combined with unacceptably low level of utilization of acquired qualifications and generally low quality of education in the majority of Russian universities result in huge structural imbalances. The article presents quantitative estimates of disproportions between the educational levels of employees with higher education and their professional occupation for different branches of economy. A logit models based analysis is performed of how much the professional functions performed by employees match their professional qualifications, levels of education and the extent to which their previously acquired expertise and skills are put into use. The sample used represents working population of Russia with tertiary education. The results obtained allow to the conclusion that worst disproportions between education levels attained and job requirements are observed in trade and services sector, transport and communications, housing and utilities, consumer goods and food industries. The matters are compounded by inert and informationally inefficient labor market, incapable of sending proper signals to national system of tertiary education.

JOB INSECURITY AND EMPLOYEES’ MOTIVATION TO ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

“…First of all it has to be noted that according to the results obtained the assessments of their job security levels by the employees in different economy sectors are closely related to labor productivity (Alam et al, 2008;Bakatina et al, 2009) as well as to disproportions in skilled labor resources utilization (Ankudinov and Lebedev, 2013) in the very same sectors.…”

“…While the proportion of employees with tertiary education in Russia is among the highest in the world (OECD, 2012), the quality of education is in many cases quite low and substantial disproportions between employees' with university education job roles and their professional qualifications are widespread (Ankudinov and Lebedev, 2013).…”

Empirical Analysis of Job Satisfaction Determinants in Russia

“…Earlier studies also demonstrate that both content of work process and individual characteristics of employees act as important determinants of levels of economic insecurity perceived by employees as well as of the incentives to invest in their professional development (Ankudinov & Lebedev, 2014), while level of economic insecurity is related to occupational imbalances of skilled personnel in different sectors of national economy (Ankudinov & Lebedev, 2013). In particular, less educated unskilled employees, women, residents of rural areas feel more exposed (Linz & Semykina, 2010).…”

“…By contrast Temnitski and Bessokirnaya demonstrate that while the majority of salaried employees are not satisfied with their wage rates and financial situations they are satisfied (to one extent or another) by their jobs (Temnitski & Bessokirnaya, 1999). G. Monusova comes to the conclusion that generally low level of job satisfaction on the part of Russian employees to the larger extent is caused by the gap between preference structure, resulting from high levels of applicants education and jobs available (Monusova, 2008); the effect has been empirically substantiated for a number of branches of national economy (Ankudinov & Lebedev, 2013).…”