ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 38 (Nº 54) Year 2017. Page 18

Problems and Trends of the Youth Labor Market and Youth Labor Mobility in the World

Problemas y tendencias del mercado laboral juvenil y su movilidad en el mundo

Maria Fedorovna MIZINTSEVA 1; Anna Romanovna SARDARIAN 2; Alena Aleksandrovna PETROCHENKO 3; Mariia Aleksandrovna CHAVYKINA 4

Received: 14/07/2017 • Approved: 25/08/2017

Content

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Conclusions

Acknowledgment

References

1. Introduction

The generation of decent employment for young people entering the labor market every year is today the most important task of each state. The topicality of this task is explained by the fact that currently the youth labor market throughout the world needs to be managed competently, but so far effective mechanisms for the use of labor resources in this area have not been created (Morozova and Torgashev, 2014). In addition, new problems are arising and the existing problems are exacerbating in the sphere of employment, both official and real unemployment rates are growing, the supply and demand in the labor market tend to mismatch (today they are increasingly speaking about the market of candidates in the labor market), the time of searching for a job for University graduates continues to increase (Vinogradova, 2015). Apart of that, the global youth labor market witnesses other problematic trends: the active informatization of business processes leading to job cuts in companies and, consequently, rising unemployment figures; the difficulties in motivating the Generation Z, the overcoming of which requires a different approach to effective managing their activities; low interest of young people in working in the real sectors of the economy (production, agriculture, etc.); young people’s preference for remote work (as freelancers), the spread of a phenomenon of people who want neither to work nor to study, and so on.

1.1. Literature Review  

The academic literature has already shaped a certain set of knowledge in the youth labor market. The problems of youth unemployment are studied by M. Choudhry, E. Marelli and M. Signorelli (2012), T. Blinova, S. Bylina and V. Rusanovskiy (2015), S. Scarpetta, A. Sonnet and T. Manfredi (2010), regional youth labor market is examined in the works by S. Scarpetta, C. Perugini and M. Signorelli (2010), B. Angana, S. Saksonovs, H. Lin and R. Blavy (2014). Recently youth mobility has been in the focus of academic interest of D. Cairns (2014), F. Kreutzer and E. Iuga (2016), N. Howard (2016), A. Veale and G. Don (2016).

However, from the authors’ point of view the scientific works, which are devoted to the youth labor market and labor mobility, do not study thoroughly the regional problems of this market (in particular, for example, in the regions of the EAEC, BRICS, etc.); they practically do not foresee the trends in labor markets and youth labor mobility in various regions of the world, moreover, these works have not proposed a clear program for the development of the management system of the youth labor market in many countries of the world.

1.2. Concept Headings  

The goal of this article is to assess the state of affairs in the youth labor market in different countries of the world, the problems of youth unemployment and labor mobility, in particular in the EEA countries. To achieve this goal the authors set a number of tasks: to analyze the youth as a group of employable population and reveal its specific features, study figures of youth unemployment in various countries and distinguish main problems of unemployment for this age bracket, find out the essence of NEET problem (young people, who neither go to universities nor work) in the youth labor market, examine the specificities of youth labor mobility, study the rate of pay for young people, survey RUDN University students in terms of their attitude towards youth labor market. Some of the main questions in the survey concerned the desire to work within their specialty, salary expectations while searching for a job, the main channels of job search, the reasons for the difficulty in finding a proper job, the basic criteria for choosing a job, the reasons for dissatisfaction of young people in the labor market and searching for a new job, etc.

The authors proposed a hypothesis: the present-day problems in the youth labor market will be exacerbating the situation in this market in the years to come; that is why it requires immediate political steps in the field of youth employment management and labor mobility. In addition, the way the young people see the problems in the labor market may not always coincide with the vision of state bodies in the field of youth policy.

The authors apply the following methods: multivariate analysis, examination, generalization, comparison, sociological survey (in particular questionnaire survey), factor analysis, and groupings.

The sources on which the provisions and conclusions of this article are based are academic works of foreign and domestic specialists, data published on the official websites of organizations, as well as the authors’ original research of more than 250 students of the Management Department, the Economics Faculty, the International RUDN University.

The analysis carried out by the authors found that about 75 million young people in the world aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed, and official unemployment rates in some countries are significant (Greece, Spain, a number of African, Asian and Latin American countries). Over recent years the recession has caused a phenomenon of NEET (neither working nor studying young people), the statistics on which is disturbing; currently the highest rate of labor mobility is witnessed among young people, which is explained by the youth's focus on career growth and their willingness to move to other cities and countries. The main characteristics of the modern youth labor market are: high unemployment rate, imbalance between supply and demand in the labor market of young employees; social and professional uncertainty felt by the youth; employment in most cases not within their specialty; gender inequality in the labor market, etc. The students’ survey identifies the following problems and trends: a significant percentage of those who do not plan to do the job they were trained to; the importance for young people of informal communications in job search; lack of work experience as a frequent reason for refusing to employ students and graduates from modern universities; insufficient wages offered for youth, etc.

In addition, recommendations were proposed for improving the management system of the youth labor market: conducting regular analysis of public policy in the field of youth employment; adopting balanced youth policy adequate to the set goals and objectives; intensifying propaganda among employers about the capacity of young employees and providing employers with the tax incentives to employ young professionals; coordinating educational standards with business representatives; developing individual youth programs for labor exchanges; expanding social benefits and youth allowances; shaping balanced programs for youth labor migration; monitoring young people’s requests and interests; engaging young employees in the process of formation and management of youth policy at various levels; establishing youth departments in those countries where they have not been formed and a special Ministry for Youth in countries with a large number of young people.

3.1. Discussion

The article analyzes the problems and trends in the youth labor market and labor mobility of young people. On the basis of the obtained data a number of key recommendations have been proposed in terms of addressing the existing problems and improving the situation in the youth labor market in different countries of the world, and in particular in EAEU countries. As a result, the students’ survey identified the main problems faced by young people in their search for work, as well as the main trends that are important for young people nowadays.

3.1.1. Scope of Application

The results of the research can be applied in mapping out the programs for the development of the youth labor market and the management of youth labor mobility in certain countries of the world in the framework of economic globalization.

3.1.2. Youth as a labor force

At present, young people are one of the most promising groups in the working-age population. First of all, this is due to the fact that this category is characterized by flexibility, ability to study quickly, mobility, as well as high physical characteristics (stamina, vigor, speed of response, etc.).

Youth is a social demographic distinguished according to a set of age characteristics, different from other social brackets in terms of their social position, values, needs, and interests. Some scholars understand the youth as a group of young people, to whom a society provides a chance to realize their opportunities while giving them benefits, but limiting them to the possibility of active participation in certain spheres of social life.

It is worth noting that in various countries there are their own criteria for the age limits of young people. Thus, according to international economic statistics, people between the age of 16 and 24 are considered young. However, in those countries where young people enter the labor market at a later age, this category includes people aged 25-29. In accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1760-r, the youth includes the population aged between 14 and 30, inclusive. (Decree No. 1760-r, 2009) There are four age groups of young people: adolescents – from 14 to 16; early youth – from 17 to 19; later youths – from 20 to 24; young adults – from 25 to 30 years.

3.1.3. The problem of youth unemployment

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), about 75 million young people in the world aged between 15 and 24 are unemployed. Only in Europe unemployed young people amount to 5.5 million. For example, in Greece the official rate of youth unemployment is 46.1%, while in Spain it is 44.4%. And this is the official unemployment rate, excluding those unemployed young people who have not officially registered at national labor exchanges. Especially large rate of unemployed young people is in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In the Russian Federation, for example, the rate of youth unemployment is 16%. (Interfax, 2013) The US youth unemployment figures are also fearsome, as among 16-24-year-old Americans it amounts to 14.5% (it should be underlined that it is the official rate of young people registered at labor exchanges) (Jacobs, 2014).

In the post-Soviet countries, youth unemployment is also a topical issue. In Armenia, for example, the unemployment rate among the young population is quite comparable with the African and Latin American countries (32.5%). In contrast, in 2015 the unemployment rate in Kazakhstan was 4.1%, in Kyrgyzstan – 15.0% (Trading Economics, 2017).

According to the forecasts of the specialists of the Trading Economics portal (forecasts are being developed for the next three decades plus medium-term expectations for the next four quarters), youth unemployment in the years ahead will reach 21% in the Eurozone, and 10% in the USA. In addition, the lowest rates of youth unemployment will be witnessed in the following countries: Japan (4.3%), Germany (6.7%), Hong Kong (5.7%) and others (Trading Economics, 2017). According to the forecast, the highest figures of youth unemployment are expected in South Africa (54.2%), Greece (44.2%), Spain (44.4%), Palestine (42.6%), Italy (39.4%), etc. (Trading Economics, 2017).

According to a sample survey of the workforce by the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, in late 2016 the unemployed in Russia amounted to 4.1 million. State institutions of the employment service registered officially 0.8 million unemployed people, including 0.7 million people receiving unemployment allowance. The average age of the unemployed was 35.5 in 2016. The number of young people made 23.6% of all unemployed. At the end of 2016 the official unemployment rate was 5.4% (FSSS, 2017)

Thus, the statistics on youth unemployment today is very alarming. Consequently, two out of five (42.6%) economically active young people in the world cannot get a job (Krasnova, 2016), let alone job placement within their specialty; 15.5% of all unemployed are people without work experience.

The youth unemployment situation in the world is so serious that a number of experts recognize that it is very dangerous as the increase in unemployment rates witnessed today globally can generate a "lost generation" (Marelli and Vakulenko, 2016). At the same time, it is recognized that young people can contribute to employment, national development, the growth of education in the community, the increase in the moral component in society, the eradication of poverty, and the reduction in corruption (Uzochukwu Mike, 2015: 74).

Therefore, the solution to the problems of youth employment is a priority in the development of most countries of the world, and the issues of youth unemployment are characterized as topical in the list of the international "Development Plan up to 2030" (Krasnova, 2016). Moreover, the World Bank has launched programs to address the youth employment problems in 57 countries. The support is provided in the field of the development of professional retraining, jobs creation for the youth, and the development of programs for education and business interaction (World Bank, 2012).

3.1.4. NEET problems in the youth labor market

The recent recession has led to the current crisis in the youth labor market in Europe and the emergence of a young people generation that neither study nor work, the NEET generation (“not in employment, education or training” from Spanish “Los que ni estudian ni trabajan” – “neither study nor work”) (Coppola and O'Higgins, 2015), or “Zero group”, NEET. The emergence of this category of young people entails a lot of serious problems, one of which is society marginalization, poverty and social exclusion (Varshavskaya, 2015: 40-47). This problem has been discussed since the late 1980s, and for its definition the term “Zero group” has been used. Since 1999, the time has come to use a new term, which was first voiced in the UK Government Report on the problems of 16-18-year-olds – NEET (SEU, 1999). Today this term is used in official documents of International Labor Organization and other institutions. For example, the “Europe 2020 Strategy” includes the “Youth on the Move” program, which focuses on youth employment and minimizing the two indicators that characterize this employment: the rate of youth unemployment and NEET (EC, 2010; POEU, 2010).

Young people aged 15-24 are commonly classified as belonging to the NEET group today, according to the Eurostat method, as they neither work, nor get professionally trained. However, recently this Commission has recommended calculating this indicator for people from 15 to 29 years (EMCO Contribution. 2011). In Europe over recent years the figure of NEET-youth ranged from 5% to 22% depending on the country. The countries with the lowest NEET figures were the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Denmark (5-7%), while Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria were the countries with the highest figures (19-22%). In the Russian Federation, this figure was about 12% in recent years (i.e. every eighth in the group of 15-24 year olds did not work or study). And, in Russia the higher figure (by 1.5 times) was observed for girls and young women (Varshavskaya, 2015: 40-47).

3.1.5. Youth labor mobility

Here we can highlight the most important factor that reflects the employment status of all socio-demographic groups of the population – population mobility. As a rule, it demonstrates the willingness and capability of the population to change their social status, and social set-up, as well as their present place of residence. Labor mobility is understood by the authors as the change in professional status and role, reflecting the dynamics of professional advancement. Generally, the elements of labor mobility include:

- career mobility, involving a change in professional status (job advancement, loss of certain official powers) with the course of time;

- professional mobility, implying the promotion of a person through different levels in the hierarchy of employment positions;

- qualification mobility, meaning the movement of the individual between the qualification levels due to the acquisition of experience, knowledge and skills.

It should be mentioned that there are different types of labor mobility, which can be implemented in various forms. One of the criteria of its qualification is the content and essence of the labor mobility. In this regard, the content of labor mobility is divided into: professional-qualified; sectoral (inter-sectoral); and intra-organizational (intra-factory).

Labor mobility is the indicator, which reflects the flexibility of an employee, his/her ability to adapt quickly to new conditions, for example, to innovations and software, mastering new responsibilities etc. As you know, it is possible to increase labor efficiency owing to labor mobility. Currently, labor mobility is highest among the young population, which happens due to the fact that young people are focused on career advancement and are not completely tied to a certain company; accordingly, the youth much easier make decisions about moving to or finding jobs in another city or country.

Labor mobility contributes to the most optimal distribution of economic resources and ensures the regulation in the labor market. Labor migrants are more mobile, in contrast to the indigenous population of the country (Alieva, 2012: 54). A high rate of labor migration can also be seen among young people. There is the following classification of the labor migration: according to the crossing of the state border (external and internal), time parameters (permanent (non-return) and temporary (return), the method of implementation (organized or unorganized, individual or collective), personal reasons of the individual (voluntary, compelled) (Ryzhkova, 2014).

Nowadays more and more countries are getting involved in the process of labor force exchange. In particular, international labor migration has become one of the most important parts of the world economy system, the existence norm of the most countries. The causes of youth labor migration are: the state of the labor market, unemployment, difficulties in finding a job, improving their material situation, prospects for advancement, acquiring knowledge about the world around them, establishing links, and many others.

The main flows of labor immigration are directed to the USA, Canada, Australia, Western Europe (namely Germany and France), the Middle East (Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, etc.), to newly industrialized countries (NIC), namely Latin American countries: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, as well as to the countries of Southeast Asia: Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines. Fig.1 demonstrates the changes in the rate of international migration from 1995 to 2015.

Figure 1
International migration in 1995-2015 (%)

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of the following materials: UN, DESA, 2015.

3.1.6. The size of youth paychecks

After the 2008 global economic crisis, youth paychecks have declined significantly across the world. For example, in Russia in 2016 the average salary of young specialists without work experience was USD 355.25 (with bonus payments – USD 456.75). Moreover, in contrast to 2015 the average young people’s salary decreased by 5% in 2016. The highest pay for recent graduate was registered among economists and financiers (USD 761.26), lawyers (USD 676.67), HR and marketing (USD 406.00 - 541.34) (Carrier.ru, 2016).

Figure 2
The average salary of young specialists in Russia in 2015-2016

Source: HeadHunter.ru, 2016 

3.1.7. Evaluation of the problems in the current labor market for RUDN University graduates

In order to support the above mentioned data and to draw attention to the topical problems of the youth labor market imperfections in all countries of the world, in November-December 2016 the authors carried out a study to identify the problems with the employment of young people from different countries and the reasons for their increased labor mobility. The study was conducted among students of the Economics Faculty of RUDN University (Moscow, the Russian Federation), where young people from more than 200 countries of the world (and representatives of 502 peoples of the world) get trained (RUDN, 2017). In the questionnaire some of the main questions concerned: the desire to work within their specialty, salary expectations while work placement, the main channels of job search, the reasons for the difficulty in finding a suitable job, the basic criteria for choosing a job, the reasons for dissatisfaction of young people in the labor market, etc.

More than 300 people (BA and MA students of Management Department, Economics Faculty) took part in the survey, including young men (35%) and young women (65%). The geography of participants was quite wide: these are the countries of the EAEU, former Soviet republics, and the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. The age of the respondents was as follows: 17-21 year olds (55.4%), 22-24 year olds (29.2%), 24-30 year olds (12.3%), older than 30 – 3.1%. Working students accounted for 47%, non-working – 53%. It is noteworthy that only 10% of working students were employed within their specialty. Students of the Management Department of the RUDN University Economics Faculty from the countries of the EAEU were temporary residents in Moscow and, respectively, they either did not work or had occasional employment.

The indicative fact is that there have always existed and there are some students who have not planned and still do not plan to work within their specialty. This survey revealed 15.5% of such students. This is usually conditioned by the fact that some students enter higher education institutions for the following reasons: parents’ advice, lower education fees for a particular program, a smaller passing score required for the program, and for some other reasons.

Answering the question about a desired size of payment, students indicated a salary from 35,000 rubles (about USD 600) to 50,000 rubles (more than USD 830). Thus, the rate of the desired salary (the answer to the question "What salary would you like to get immediately after your graduation?") was distributed as follows (table 1).

Table 1
The level of the desired salary immediately after graduation

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and
MA students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

Since the respondents were students of the Management Department, the Economics Faculty, 80% of them answering to the question "Which position is preferable for you?" said that they would prefer a manager position.

The employed respondents or those who were searching for a job chose the following as one of the most efficient channels of job hunting: informal communications (people you know personally, etc.) – 47.7% and the Internet. Usually about half of all young people use the Internet to find a job (44.6%). In recent years, the role of employment services in job search has increased (18.5%) (Fig. 3).

Figure 3
Basic channels of a job search for young people

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and MA
students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

The main causes of difficulties in finding a proper job, according to our respondents, are the lack of work experience (86.2%) and shortage of jobs in the specialty (33.8%), see Table 2.

Table 2
The causes of difficulties in finding a suitable job

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and MA
students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

Among the basic factors in choosing a job, the respondents named the following: high salary (89.2%), the possibility of career advancement (68%), the employer’s stability and reliability (58.5%). Moreover, it is important to mention that the brand of the company (the company's popularity in the market) (29.2%) today is not crucial for students (Fig. 4), as they are ready to work for good salary even if the company is unknown in the market.

Figure 4
Underlying factors of choosing a job

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and MA
students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

It is noteworthy that, for example, in the USSR, one of the tools that were effective in minimizing the unemployment rate in general and youth unemployment in particular was, undoubtedly, the obligatory employment of graduates after studies (state distribution of university graduates throughout companies in all regions of the country). Although the method of graduates’ distribution had some disadvantages (for example, the graduates got job referral to remote regions of the country against their will), but led practically to the absence of youth unemployment in the USSR. Today, this tool of combating youth unemployment has undergone significant changes and has been modified into so-called work-off (obligatory practicing in the specialty for the period from three to five years). This method is especially popular in some post-Soviet countries, which are now part of the EAEU (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). However, according to the author's survey, students (78.5% of respondents) negatively estimate this method of minimizing youth unemployment. The reasons for this estimate of a forced distribution are graduates’ reluctance to move to another city or countryside, pessimistic expectations for pay (usually in these cases it is much lower than the average one in the labor market ), unwillingness to work further in their specialty, etc.

The author's survey demonstrated that 98.5% of respondents actively support the idea of professional training at enterprises, as well as at the supplementary courses and master classes at higher education institutions delivered by employers, considering these methods a good way to "train skilled employees" for the purposes of a particular organization.

Among the causes of the inadequate material situation of today's youth, respondents named low salaries (65.2%), ineffective employment policy (58.7%), and employers’ unwillingness to hire young people without work experience (71.7%), see Table 3.

Table 3
Causes of inadequate material situation of today's youth

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and MA
students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

70.8% of respondents believe that the financial situation of young people in their country is not adequate, and the country faces an acute problem of youth unemployment (87.7% of respondents). Respondents named the following main problems that lead to youth unemployment: lack of work experience (71.9%), lack of jobs in specialty (50.9%), age discrimination (employers' reluctance to employ university graduates) (47.4%) (Fig. 5).

Figure 5
Causes of youth unemployment

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and
MA students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

Survey respondents named some of the effective measures to combat youth unemployment: forming an effective employment structure (86%), loan granting to start up their own businesses (33.3%), as well as providing an opportunity for retraining in another specialty (31.6% ), see Table 4.

Table 4
Measures to combat youth unemployment according to respondents

Source: compiled by the authors on the basis of BA and MA
students’ survey, Economics Faculty, RUDN University, 2016

3.1.8. Methods to improve the system of youth labor market management in the world

In order to improve the management of the youth labor market and labor mobility in both emerging and advanced countries, it is necessary to recognize the topicality of this problem and develop a set of specific measures to overcome it. First of all, it is necessary to carry out a regular analysis of the public policy in the field of youth employment, identify key problems that hamper the development of the youth labor market, and develop and form the main directions for improving the labor market for young people at the national and international levels.

For the purpose of improving social and economic indicators in the field of youth, it is important, first of all, to adopt a balanced and adequate to the goals youth policy. The regulatory policy in the field of the youth labor market should be based on various interrelated tools that ensure the effective employment of young people. To implement this task, it is important to conduct active propaganda among employers about the capabilities of young workers; consider the possibility of tax relieves for employers if they hire younger professionals without work experience; coordinate educational standards with business representatives; increase the practical training component in the curricula of institutions of higher professional education; develop individual youth programs for labor exchanges; actively involve the state in mediating between universities and educational institutions; encourage the activities of intermediary companies for the employment of young people on the part of the state; activate the policy of vocational guidance aimed at high school students; increase the accessibility of vocational education to people from remote (including rural) regions through quotas of state-financed openings in higher education institutions for rural youth, as well as through establishing branches of major national universities; establish vocational training and retraining centers; support the development of distant education, etc.

To implement social programs on youth support, it is important to increase the financing of youth social programs, develop counseling centers in the country, as well as explain the importance of labor to young people of all ages. Social youth policy should include a set of tax benefits and support payments, scholarship programs (on the one hand, they provide real support to young people, and on the other hand, stimulate their labor activity). Thus, measures on the improvement of the youth policy should be comprehensive, open, adequate to the goals set by the state, and the requirements of modern youth. The regular monitoring of youth requests and interests, research of their attitudes towards employment, participation of young people in the process of formation and management of youth policy at various levels (both municipal and state) also play a significant role in the effective implementation of youth policy.

We have to state the fact that in some countries (even with a high number of young people) there is no separate public body dealing with the youth problems. Currently, there are three groups of countries differing by the availability of an independent state institution to implements the public youth policy. The first group comprises (115) countries possessing a specialized institution for implementing public youth policy. The second group includes (75) countries, where this institution is a part of some other public structure. The third group comprises (61) countries without an institution specialized in youth policy or information is not available.

The following countries, to name a few, belong to the first group: Brazil (National Youth Secretariat, part of the General Secretariat of the Brazilian Presidency), Vietnam (National Committee on Youth of Vietnam), Greece (General Secretariat for the Youth), India (Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports), Kazakhstan (Department of Youth Policy of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan), Cyprus (Cyprus Youth Council), China (All-China Youth Federation), Mexico (Mexican Institute of Youth), the Russian Federation (Federal Agency for Youth Affairs). Similar institutions are also established in the underdeveloped countries (Burundi, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Haiti, Zimbabwe, etc.) (FADM, 2017).

For some countries in the second group, where the institution responsible for youth policy is a part of another ministry, the authors propose to organize a separate ministry for youth affairs. The authors have identified the following countries where the number of young people is significant: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Belarus, Germany, Great Britain, Georgia, France, Japan, etc.

The expediency of this step – the establishment of a separate Ministry for Youth Affairs – needs to be calculated in detail with regard to the following indicators: the population size, the number of young population of working age, the percentage of working age youth in relation to the total population, GDP, unemployment, youth unemployment, the percentage of budget expenditures on youth policy, and so on. For example, for small states, including island states, it is not advisable to establish a separate ministry for youth affairs (Andorra, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, East Timor, Luxembourg, Monaco, Seychelles, etc.).

In the countries where there is no department for youth affairs, it is necessary to establish it or form it within the framework of some ministry in order to systematize activities on youth policy of the state (Guyana, Guinea, Hong Kong, Saharan Arab Democratic Republic, Kosovo, etc.).

In the field of youth labor migration, public policy can be focused on the following activities: supporting the migration of young people to remote and rural regions of the country (higher wages, housing, etc.); forming a clear system for young people information and providing legal assistance in employment, for example, in rural areas; encouraging volunteer work of young people, organizing employment during the vacation period; supporting small entrepreneurship for young people.

All these activities can contribute to improving the situation in the youth labor market, including reducing the level of youth unemployment, ensuring the effective employment of young people, increasing the level of youth satisfaction in the labor market. 

Today, the most topical issues both in theory and in practice, which are the task of not only a nationwide scale, but also of a global scale, include studying the problems of the modern labor market, the employment of young people, their labor mobility, the search for ways to eliminate the causes and consequences of high unemployment rate among young people, and the minimization of the young brain drain abroad.

The youth labor market in most countries of the world is characterized by the following: high official and real unemployment rates; imbalance of supply and demand in the labor market for young professionals; social and professional uncertainty of youth; an increase in the category of young people who do not work or study; the overwhelming majority of cases of employment not in their specialty; high level of gender inequality in the labor market in a number of countries; the unwillingness of employers to hire young people without work experience, including university graduates, etc. In many countries there is no optimized system for social policy for young people, and programs to support young professionals are very poorly developed. There are serious problems in the interaction of educational institutions and business representatives – potential employers of university graduates. In addition, young people have a low level of satisfaction with the situation in the labor market, which causes other serious problems: the lack of young people to search for a job and work, increase in poverty, increase in crime, minimized spiritual and moral values, etc. Everything that was mentioned above causes the urgency of improving labor market mechanisms, taking into account the forecasts of its development in the world, the problems of each country, new trends and modern tools for regulating the labor market.

The survey revealed that one in six students do not want to work within the specialty (in our case, "management"); the minimum wage for which students were willing to work is USD500; informal communications are the main channels of job hunting; lack of work experience is the main reason for the difficulty in finding a suitable job; four main factors (high wages, career opportunities, company stability, employer reliability) are the most important factors in job search; lack of work experience, lack of jobs in the specialty and age discrimination are the main reasons for high rate of youth unemployment.

The authors give recommendations for improving the situation in the youth labor market, including: regular revealing key problems hampering the development of the youth labor market; adoption of a balanced youth policy, which is adequate for the set goals and objectives; a regular awareness campaign for employers about the capabilities of young workers; the possibility of tax exemptions for companies in case of their higher percentage of employing young professionals without experience; approval of educational standards by business representatives; the increase in practical component in the curricula of institutions of higher professional education; the development of individual youth programs for labor exchange; monitoring young people’s requests and interests, their attitude towards employment; the establishing the departments for youth affairs in countries where there is no such body or they operate within a ministry.

The results of the author's research given in this article, as well as the developed recommendations for improving the situation in the youth labor market and increasing the level of modern young people’s satisfaction with work can be used while working out programs for the development of the youth labor market and youth policy in individual countries of the world

Acknowledgment

This paper was financially supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation upon the program to improve the competitiveness of Peoples' Friendship University (RUDN University) of Russia among the world's leading research and education centers in the 2016-2020.

The authors are grateful to the students of the Management Department of the Economics Faculty, RUDN University, for their active participation in the survey, which formed the basis of the author's study.

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1. Doctor of Economics, Professor of the Management Department, Economics Faculty, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation

2. Candidate of Economics, Associate Professor of the Management Department, Economics Faculty, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation. gaviota21@mail.ru

3. Assistant Professor of the Management Department, Economics Faculty, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation

4. Postgraduate student of Economics Faculty, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation