Russian unemployment: its magnitude, characteristics, and regional dimensions

Abstract

Registered unemployment in Russia is now 2 percent; surveys indicate a true rate of between 5 and 6 percent. Until now, flow in and out of unemployment have been quite large, with duration low. This may be changing as the ease with which workers are matched to jobs declines -- in part because of financing constraints on firms. Already there is great regional variation in unemployment -- which, as this model indicates, is likely to persist because of the mismatch in distribtution of jobs and the unemployed.