Informal Employment in Mongolia and Russia: State and Challenges

New challenges of scientific and technological achievements of mankind and manifestations of the approaching fourth industrial revolution demonstrate the possibilities of spreading new types of employment in the labor market. Economic foundations and formulas of functioning of world and regional labor markets are changing. A kind of reformatting of responsibility of subjects of the labor market to the state and civil society continues. Therefore, the topic of informal employment acquires special significance for society and its future. In connection with low socio-economic indicators, glocalization and intensification of processes of neotraditionalism and neoarchaization in the Russian-Mongolian cross-border area, a comprehensive assessment of processes in the labor market is required. Historical, cultural and ethnic identity with the Mongolian world, similar traditional economic practices become a significant factor in studying issues of informal employment in Mongolia and the national regions of the Russian Federation bordering it - the republics of Buryatia and Tuva.

The paper "Informal Employment in Russia and Mongolia in Modern Conditions" will present the results of research conducted in Russia and Mongolia, from Russian side project manager, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Z. T. Golenkova, from the Mongolian side Ph.D., Associate Professor Ts. Tsetsenbileg.

There are several approaches examining the issues of informal sector, labor and employment and consequently the research methodology. The paper outlines a brief history of the terms “informal sector and employment”,” a discussion of associated conceptual problems. The theory of Zygmunt Bauman and Robert Reich are presented as applicable to describe the phenomenon of informal employment in globalizing circumstances of 21 century. Based on their concepts the methodology for studying the informal employment was developed. The paper represents the findings of the survey conducted in 2022-2023 in Mongolia, Tuva and Buryatia. The results approve the initial hypothesis of polarization among informal employers.