The article considers internal migration and its connection with innovative transformations in the subjects of the Russian Federation from 2016 to 2021. The relevance of the topic is due to the need to overcome the negative trends associated with the constant outflow of the economically active population from some regions of the country. The purpose of the article is to establish the strength of statistical relationship between the interregional movement of labor resources and the key indicators that reveal the innovation potential of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The following tasks were solved: internal and interregional migration of able–bodied population was analyzed; federal districts with a positive and negative difference between incoming and outgoing able–bodied population were identified; the dynamics of interregional movement in the context of migration causes was examined, including the most common of them for the period from 2016 to 2021. The article uses general scientific methods of research, as well as statistical analysis of migration movement data within the country and indicators of the rating of innovative development of regions. The novelty of the work is related to the comparison of regional labor migration and aggregated assessments of economic, educational, digital and institutional development of the regions. As a result of the study it was found that to assess the strength of the statistical relationship between the migration activity of the population of the country’s regions and their position, respectively, in the ratings of aggregate innovative development with such indicators as the Russian regional Innovation Index (hereinafter referred to as the RRII); the index of socio–economic conditions of innovation activity (hereinafter referred to as the ISEC); the index of the quality of innovation policy (hereinafter referred to as the - IQIP), it can be both medium (for RRI) and weakly expressed (for ISEC and IQIP).

The relevance of youth students’ incentives and readiness for labor migration study is related to the challenges in the regional labor markets of the Russian Federation. The aim is to substantiate the approach for the study of the incentives and readiness for labor migration of the digital generation. To develop the methodological approach neoclassical migration theory, principles of new economic theory, migration model of E. Lee are taken. The system model is developed considering D. Tapscott’s network generation concept and SberCIB Investment Research analytics of Generation Z consumer practices. As a result, a systematic model of digital generation stimuli and readiness for labor migration research in the context of educational strategies and work experience is presented. The approach allows, firstly, to establish educational strategies of student youth: career-oriented (I); status-oriented (II); psychological comfort and creativity (III); forced learning (IV); random choice (V). Secondly, to determine correlations between educational strategies and labor practices of young people. For this purpose it is proposed to single out following groups: working students (R); with work experience (O); not working and not planning (N); not working but planning (P). Thirdly, to determine incentives and identify readiness for labor migration for each of the groups.