WORK-LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE ARCTIC AMID CONTEMPORARY SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS

Abstract

Finding ways to improve resource utilization in the labor market is a pressing socio-economic concern. The problem of population aging, a contemporary demographic issue, is currently being addressed by extending work life. This study analyzes work-life expectancy, using one of the regions in the Russian Arctic, namely the Arkhangelsk region, as an example. The study spans 11 years, from 2010 and 2021, encompassing the first results of the pension reform and the demographic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, notably marked by a dramatic decrease in life expectancy. The key research method utilized is the Sullivan method, grounded in age-specific mortality rates and the economic activity of the population. Particular emphasis is placed on analyzing life expectancy trends for males and females aged 15 to 50. The findings reveal a positive trend during periods of relative socio-economic stability, contrasting with a decline during the pandemic years. Notably, there is less gender disparity in working life expectancy in the region compared to the rest of the country. This observation suggests that despite the option for earlier retirement, women’s tenure in the labor market is almost equivalent to that of men. The pandemic-induced drop in life expectancy has significantly reduced periods of economic inactivity, i.e., the number of retirement years. The prospects of this research involve examining periods of employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity across specific age groups within the human life cycle to analyze whether workforce potential is used to the fullest. The findings of the study can be used to improve the region’s policy in fields such as employment, social security, and population maintenance.

Keywords

• work life expectancy
• workforce
• arctic