Social Policy and its Impact on Labour Productivity

Abstract

The article deals with the impact of social problems and social policy on the efficiency of economic activity. By comparing social and economic indicators of Russia and OESR countries a conclusion was drawn that contrasting two goals of national economy development i.e. social justice and economic efficiency is artificial. As social problems affect directly the effectiveness of economic activity, economizing on problems of poverty, inequality, public health and education could lead to a drop in labour productivity and slowing-down of economic development. The authors propose concrete steps aimed at resolving the most acute social problems of today’s Russia, including limits of top management salaries in regions and companies in relation to the mean wage at organizations led by them, active social policy of state in the field of wages, the system of social guarantees for low-paid workers, a rise in state spending on public health and education. The article was written on materials of the School of Young Researcher meeting, which dealt with the development of Russian economy.

Keywords

• social policy
• efficiency
• poverty
• inequality
• social protection
• education
• public health