The structure and essence of the workforce, its role in modern society. “Labor force” - what does this term mean?

Source: "Human Resources Management"

Work force- this is the totality of a person’s physical and intellectual abilities to work. In a market economy, it is a commodity, but unlike other types of goods, labor has the following characteristics:

1. a product creates value, moreover, than it itself is worth (or, more precisely, what its employer values);

2. no production is possible without the use of this type of product;

3. the degree (efficiency) of using fixed and working capital depends on the workforce production assets, the economics of the economic structure as a whole.

The cost criterion of labor depends on many factors, such as the ratio of unemployment and employment, the degree of development of social partnership, region, industry of the enterprise and many others.

An assessment of the contractor's labor force is a conclusion about the employee's performance of his labor function. It is expressed in the official and systematic assessment by the leader of his subordinates. In most cases, it is based on subjective perception, depending on the “recommendation reviews” of competing employees or “helpful” partners. As a result, the cost of highly qualified labor decreases, and then competent personnel are generally forced out of the labor market, being replaced by less competent and less qualified, but “convenient” workers. The process of trampling on intellectual potential is especially often observed in the scientific field, where family and inherent ties are most significant in the placement of personnel.

This state of affairs is, to say the least, puzzling, since in theory, the methodology for assessing the labor force has been developed in sufficient detail and widely.

For example, the following techniques are used:

1. ranking (the manager ranks his subordinates depending on their merits);

2. score(score or non-numeric: bad, below average, average, above average, very good);

3. scale (usually with five points) for recording personal characteristics;

4. system of strong and weaknesses allowing the manager to note aspects of the work of his subordinates;

5. conversations, during which the subordinate talks about his successes and failures during the survey period, during which resolution complex problems the use of labor and, together with its carrier, a valuation is made.

Purpose of employee assessment:

Improving the quality of work assignment execution;

Collection of information to make a decision about the employee’s skill level;

Compliance with labor standards;

Creating a basis for differentiated wages;

Collection of facts to minimize the subjectivity of conclusions about the quality of the workforce;

Obtaining information about the need for training and retraining of personnel;

Collection of data to create an exemplary image of the future performer;

Stimulation individuals and groups as a whole to comply with labor standards;

Strengthening the moral factor of production;

Providing a basis for the formation of new standards and performance goals.

Carrying out a balanced personnel policy in the organization should be based on strict accounting of employees.

The list of employees of the organization represents all those hired permanently and temporary work related to the main and non-core activities of the organization, for a period of one day or more.

The payroll includes: those actually working, those who are idle and absent for any reason (business trips, annual vacations, absent by permission of the administration or due to illness, performing state and public duties, involved in agricultural work, being in maternity leave, students of colleges and schools that are on the balance sheet of the enterprise, working part-time or weekly, homeworkers), if they are retained workplace and wages.

The question rightly arises: are there persons on the payroll who are absent from work without the permission of the administration and for no valid reason? It is obvious that while the person is in labor relations, then it is included in the organization’s staff and payroll.

The payroll of an enterprise may include both industrial production personnel and personnel of non-industrial divisions.

Industrial production personnel (IPP) are those directly involved in production activities and production services: employees of main and auxiliary workshops, plant management staff, laboratories, research and development departments, computer centers, etc.

Industrial and production personnel are divided into the following categories of labor:

A. Workers- these are workers directly involved in the production of products, as well as the repair and maintenance of equipment, the movement of objects of labor and finished products In addition, this group includes the Ministry of Defense and the security of the organization;

B. Specialists- these are employees who prepare and process documents, accounting and control, and business services (for example, statisticians, agents, etc.);

IN. Managers- these are employees employed in leadership positions at various levels (foreman, shop manager, manager, director, manager).

The personnel of non-industrial divisions include workers employed in housing, communal and subsidiary services, health centers, dispensaries, educational institutions and so on.

It is obvious that the assessment criteria for workers in the industrial and non-industrial sectors should be different. It is also necessary to take a differentiated approach to the issue of assessing employees at different ranks of the career ladder. For this purpose, within the organization within the personnel structure, a personnel rating sector should be created, consisting of highly qualified specialists of various specializations: psychologists, sociologists, lawyers and other narrow specialists in issues separate groups working people, such as: youth, elderly, women, veterans. With such a comprehensive solution to the issue, the subjectivity of employee assessment will be reduced to a minimum. The same personnel group can form the basis certification commission, the work of which, in this formulation of the question, will not be periodic (once every two to four years), but permanent.

As one of functional responsibilities rating group may determine the preferential right to remain at work in accordance with Art. 34 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation when reducing the number or staff, as well as resolving the issue of employment within the organization, as a mandatory measure prior to the dismissal of an employee, as well as control over staff turnover in the organization.

Personnel turnover is determined by the labor turnover index (the number of people fired is expressed as a percentage of the average number of employees during the year). Net labor turnover is determined by the formula: the ratio of the difference between the total number of people laid off during the period under review and those inevitably laid off to the average number of employees, multiplied by 100%.

There are many reasons for staff turnover, and one of them is the assessment of the cost of labor in the organization. Women's turnover significantly exceeds men's. Currently, this is not even caused by increased guarantees (women, in order to keep their jobs, “turn a blind eye” to direct violations labor legislation, voluntarily refuse the benefits and guarantees provided to them by the state in connection with motherhood), but through outright discrimination, for example, salaries are arbitrarily cut: one amount is indicated on the statement, and a smaller amount is given out.

High labor turnover is the result of inept organizational management and unsuccessful personnel policies. There are a number of preventive measures for staff turnover, both economic and organizational, as well as moral:

Using effective personnel selection procedures;

Application of analytical methods for assessing the work of employees;

Introduction of methods and techniques for a balanced personnel policy;

Maximum use of employee abilities;

Improving the on-the-job training system and, above all, in production itself;

Improving the communication system;

Improving working conditions;

Introduction of group and individual principles of morality;

Strengthening the effect of obtaining job satisfaction through moral and material motivation of work.

Labor is the most valuable commodity in the labor market. And until the entrepreneur realizes this, the Russian economy will be in ruins. Delaying the process of impoverishment of the labor force will inevitably lead to an irreversible result - its degradation.

The classic definition of the concept of “labor power” comes down to the totality of a person’s ability to work (mental and physical). In statistics, the labor force refers to the number of people employed or available for such work. In different countries, this indicator is calculated slightly differently; usually the number of employed and officially registered unemployed is taken.

In the language of literature and journalism, labor force is workers physical labor, employed in low-skilled jobs, i.e. the working class. This includes both those who are voluntarily employed and those who are forcibly recruited (for example, slaves or prisoners).

Under capitalist conditions, labor is a commodity (with all its inherent characteristics), but at the same time it is a specific commodity. Its difference from other products is as follows:

1. It creates value greater than it is worth (more precisely, than it is valued). The additionally created value is called surplus and is the basis of profit.

2. Absolutely any production needs this type of product; without it it is impossible.

3. The level of efficiency in the use of means of production and the entire economic structure as a whole depend on the competent use of this product (labor).

The cost of labor consists of such factors as the ratio of the number of employed and unemployed, the industry sector of the enterprise, the degree economic development region, etc. The carriers of labor power are its owners, legally they can freely dispose of it. But, lacking the means of production, the owners of labor sell it as a commodity. In this case, its cost is determined by the sum of the costs of maintaining the required standard of living and working capacity of the employee, as well as his training and reproduction.

These costs vary significantly in countries with different economic and climatic conditions and depend on complexity and many other factors. The price of labor serves as a quantitative reflection of its value and is expressed in wages.

In total, the workforce of any enterprise (i.e., the payroll of its employees) includes those actually working, as well as those absent for various reasons (illness, business trip, regular or study leave etc.), but who have an employment relationship with the enterprise.

May include personnel of non-industrial departments and production personnel (engaged directly in production activities and servicing production needs). The latter, in turn, consists of workers (engaged in the actual production of products, equipment repair, loading and unloading operations), specialists (engaged in accounting and control of products, paperwork, etc.) and managers different levels(director, manager, shop manager, manager).

The number of employees of any enterprise is constantly changing, i.e. there is a movement of labor and its redistribution between enterprises, as well as industries and entire regions. Analysis of the movement of labor is carried out based on absolute and relative indicators of its turnover.

Absolute indicators - turnover of admissions and departures, equal, respectively, to the total number of admissions and dismissals for a certain period. Retirement rates are also relative indicators. The degree of labor turnover (due to layoffs) is also taken into account. at will or for other reasons) measured by the turnover rate.

In addition, the replacement rate is used. When its value is greater than one, not only personnel lost due to dismissal are replenished, but also new jobs are created. When value given coefficient less than one are decreasing, which indicates an increase in unemployment.

the effectiveness of the applied labor motivation system, personnel management, the scale of the domestic market, etc.

The most important component of socio-economic statistics is labor statistics. Its indicators characterize the number, composition, regional distribution and use of labor resources; use of working time; level and dynamics of labor productivity; labor costs, wages, conditions, labor protection and safety and other phenomena and processes. Issues of labor statistics are discussed in full in the sectoral statistics course. This topic examines indicators of the number of labor resources and working hours.

• The main objectives of labor market statistics are:
• collection of information on the number of employed and unemployed as two components of the labor force; study of the status and trends in Russian market
• labor through indicators of employment and unemployment;

studying the composition of the employed and unemployed according to various criteria (gender, age, industries and sectors of the economy, by region of the country and other characteristics) in order to regulate the labor market, develop programs to increase the level of employment, employ the unemployed, their professional retraining, etc.

Employed and unemployed

The entire population of the country can be divided into two groups: the economically active and economically inactive population.

- this is the part of the population that offers its labor for the production of goods and services.

Employed persons include persons of both sexes aged 16 years and older, as well as persons of younger ages who, during the period under review:

• performed hired work for remuneration, money or paid in kind, as well as other income-generating work;
• temporarily absent from work due to: illness or injury; days off; annual leave; various types of leaves, both with and without pay, time off; leaves at the initiative of the administration; strikes and other reasons;
• performed work without pay in the family business.

When classifying or not classifying a person as employed, the criterion of one hour is used. In Russia, when surveying employment, the number of employed includes persons who worked one hour or more in the surveyed week. The use of this criterion is due to the fact that it is necessary to cover all types of employment that may exist in the country - from permanent to short-term, casual and other types of irregular employment.

Unemployed persons include persons aged 16 years and older who, during the period under review:

• did not have a job (or income-generating occupation);
• were looking for a job;
• were ready to get to work.

This definition is consistent with the methodology of the International Labor Organization (ILO). When classifying a person as unemployed, all three criteria listed above must be taken into account.

is the population that is not part of the labor force. This includes: pupils and students; pensioners; persons receiving disability pensions; persons engaged in housekeeping; persons who have stopped looking for work, having exhausted all possibilities for obtaining it, but who are able and ready to work; other persons who do not need to work regardless of their source of income.

— ensure the supply of labor in the labor market for the production of goods, performance of work and provision of services. That is, they want to work, but at the same time they can both work and look for work. In accordance with this, the economically active population is divided into two categories: the number of people employed in sectors of the economy and the number of unemployed.

The economically active population is part of the labor force. The number of economically active population changes in individuals in relation to a certain period of time.

Number of employees in economic sectors is an indicator characterizing the demand for labor in the labor market. The higher the demand for labor, the higher the employment rate in the economy. Every economy strives for population indicators.

Number of unemployed is the excess of supply over demand for labor in the labor market. Typically, supply exceeds demand for labor, which objectively determines the availability. This does not exclude the opposite situation on separate areas labor market (regional, by type of activity).

Economically inactive population

Economically inactive population- these are persons capable of working (they are included in the labor force), but they cannot be classified as either.

Economically inactive population is a population that is not part of work force. This includes: pupils and students; pensioners; persons receiving disability pensions; persons engaged in housekeeping; persons who have stopped looking for work, having exhausted all possibilities for obtaining it, but who are able and ready to work; other persons who do not need to work regardless of their source of income.

The categories of economic activity of the population discussed above do not imply that once a person gets into any group, he remains there forever. The labor market has a highly dynamic nature, so it is necessary to consider not only the size of each group for a certain period of time, but also the movement (flows) of people between different groups. The diagram below illustrates dynamic model labor market.

IN market economy the possibility of unemployment of the working population is allowed. The reasons for the economic passivity of this part of the population are social status, material security, housekeeping, raising children, or lack of employment prospects. In Russia there are several million people in this category of population. The primary task of statistics is to study employment, that is, the degree of satisfaction of labor supply. The number, composition, territorial distribution and reasons for economic passivity are also studied.

Indicators of population employment and level relate to the main characteristics of the socio-economic situation of the country and the state of the labor market.

In the 90s there was a decrease in labor supply in the Russian labor market, greatest decline was in 1998. The number of economically active population, despite a slight increase in 1999 and 2000, did not reach the level of 1992 and was 3.3 million people less. IN large sizes there was a decrease in labor demand. The number of people employed in the economy during this period decreased by 6.4 million people, or 9%. There was a release of labor from state-owned enterprises and organizations due to the decline in production, the redistribution of labor between sectors of the economy, the transition from the public to the private sector, but in general, with a decrease in the number of employees, the number of unemployed systematically increased. The unemployment rate (the share of unemployed people in the economically active population) reached 13.2% in 1998 and remained at a high level until 2000.

Economic activity rate

It is the ratio of the economically active population to the total population.

The economically active population in Russia in November 2009 amounted to 72.8 million people

• number of employed 65.0 million people
• total population - 144.9 million people.

Find the number of unemployed, the coefficients of economic activity, employment and unemployment.

The economically active population includes both employed and unemployed people, therefore,

• Number of unemployed = 72.8 - 65 = 7.8 million people.
• Economic activity rate = (72.8 / 144.9) * 100% = 50%
• Occupancy rate = 65 / 72.8 = 0.9
• = 7,8 / 72,8 = 0,1

• Average annual population: 148,300 thousand people
• Total employment in the economy: 67,100 thousand people.
• Number of unemployed: 6410 thousand people.

Find: the number of economically active population (EAP), the coefficient of economic activity of the population, the employment rate and the unemployment rate of the population.

• EAN = 67100 + 6410 = 73510 thousand people.
• Coefficient EAN = 73510 / 148300 = 0.5
• Occupancy factor = 67100 / 73510 = 0.91
• Unemployment rate = 6410 / 73510 = 0.09

The number of employed and unemployed as of the dates was:

Find: the average number of employed, unemployed, economically active population for the year, employment and unemployment rates for this period.

1. Average number We will calculate the employed and unemployed using the simple average chronological formula.

2. The economically active population is the sum of the employed and the unemployed.

• EAN = 718+73.25 = 791.25

3. To employment = 718 / 791.25 = 0.91
4. To unemployment = 73.25 / 791.25 = 0.09

Economically active population

Based on materials from sample surveys of the population on employment problems: 1992, 1995. - at the end of October; 2000-2007 - at the end of November. Since 2006 - including data for the Chechen Republic.

Labor force: concept and formation

Work force - ability to work, i.e. a set of properties, characteristics of a person (including the presence of certain physical and spiritual abilities, skills, abilities, etc.) necessary for him to carry out any work activity, and used by him in the course of his work activity.

Sometimes labor force means workers, both real and potential, i.e. almost the same labor resources. Often this concept is used in a narrow sense - as the total number of workers, more often in some sector of the national economy.

Labor force is the ability to work, the totality of physical and intellectual abilities that a person has and which he uses to produce the goods of life. Labor power can function only in a system of certain production relations and is the main productive force of society, the determining element of the productive forces.

By influencing the substance of nature in the process of work, modifying and subjugating it, a person, in turn, improves labor skills, acquires production experience, and accumulates theoretical and technical knowledge. The level of development of the means of labor has a decisive influence on the nature and scope of labor functions.

The socio-economic conditions for the use of labor are directly dependent on the method of connecting labor with the means of production. IN market conditions labor power acts as a commodity. Like any other product, labor power in a market environment has value and use value. The cost of a specific product, labor, is determined by the cost of the means of subsistence necessary for the employee to carry out normal work activities and support his family. Along with satisfying the needs for food, clothing, and housing, the cost of labor includes spiritual element(cultural needs of employees, costs of education, vocational training). Big influence the size and structure of labor costs in different countries are influenced by historical features its formation. The cost of labor varies depending on the level of political and economic development of the country, natural and climatic conditions, national traditions and organization of hired workers.

Scientific and technological progress has a contradictory impact on the dynamics of labor costs . On the one hand, the enormous development of the productive forces and the growth of social labor productivity lead to a reduction in the cost of subsistence consumed by workers and, consequently, contribute to a reduction in the cost of the specific commodity labor force. On the other hand, there are factors that contribute to increased labor costs. So, intensification production processes requires additional costs associated with compensation for increased expenditure of physical and nervous energy. The transformation of science into a direct productive force, qualitative changes in the material and technical base (automation of production, introduction of cybernetic and computing devices, chemicalization of production, etc.) led to shifts in the professional and qualification composition of the workforce in the direction of expanding the number of professions, including in which mental labor predominates, and also predetermined an increase in the proportion of highly and semi-skilled workers. This also requires additional costs for increasing the educational level of workers, professional training and retraining of personnel, which increases the cost of labor for both the entrepreneur and the employee himself.

The use value of labor power consists of the worker’s ability to create surplus value for society in the production process. The economic interest of society as a buyer of labor power is realized in the fact that in the process of labor activity the value created by labor power turns out to be greater than the cost of labor power itself.

Formation of the workforce, that is, the formation of a person’s ability to work - this is the preparation of a worker for work, which begins in preschool institutions And secondary school where the formation process begins personal characteristics a working person, his individual awareness of himself as a future subject social and labor relations, and continues in the system vocational education, in the workplace, in advanced training institutes, on internships and in other educational formations, where the necessary professional knowledge and skills are constantly being developed. Education system as an institution spiritual production And intellectual development personality, its development creative potential forms such a body of knowledge and skills of members of society that ensure the possibility of their purposeful activities in the system social division labor. This is the role of the education system as an institution for the production of personality, which is used to constantly improve its qualities as a subject of social and labor relations. Therefore, education is considered as one of the basic values, without which it is impossible to form a workforce.