White collar workers becoming more mobile
The immobility of the nation's workforce, often cited by international experts as one key factor holding back further economic growth in Russia, would appear to be decreasing according to a survey conducted by Ancor staffing agency.
Crisis boosts mobility
The recent economic crisis saw staff mobility increase, concluded Ancor citing its research which polled 7,500 people in 34 cities across Russia. According to the survey, workers are now more mobile than before 2008. The reasons given for moving were finding a job, finding a higher salary, career growth and better living conditions. The majority of respondents were so-called white-collar workers -- middle managers (32 percent) and professionals (47 percent).
One-third of respondents (32 percent) said they already had moved once before, with the majority of those (89 percent) having changed their place of residence only within Russia. Among those that moved, 39 percent did so from 2000 to 2007.
Another 23 percent moved from 2008-2009 and 27 percent changed residence this year and last year.
Better prospects
The company's analysts concluded that over half of those that had moved did so in the past four years, adding that the crisis of 2008 contributed to increased mobility.
One-third (29 percent) of respondents said they wanted to move to another region for similar reasons, such as higher wages and better career growth.
Turning American
Yulia Sakharova, general director of Imperiya Kardrov staffing firm, said that the average person in the United States moves 15 times over the course of his or her life, while in Russia that number is only 1.5 times, Kommersant reported on Wednesday.
According to her, the crisis has changed the situation: in the regions where the labor market was hit hardest people have been forced to where the employment market was better.
"Russians are moving towards the American model, 'live where the jobs are'."
Sergei Gadetsky, director for Russia at Ancor, said that more mobility was a good thing.
"It's a good trend, which has a positive effect on economic development."
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