The article describes the main features of the labor market in Pavlovo, Nizhny Novgorod oblast, analyzes employment strategies of the population from different property groups. Due to its geographical location, socio-demographic structure, Pavlovo was chosen as an example of a typical small town in the European part of Russia. The article presents the results of sociological survey conducted in 2011 and 2021. The 2011 survey was carried out by the Institute of Socio-Economic Studies of Population of the FCTAS RAS (Moscow) and Lobachevsky State University of Nizhniy Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod) with participation of the universities of Glasgow (Scotland) and Uppsala (Sweden). The 2021 survey — by the Center for the Study of Social Systems, the Department of Sociology of Project Activity and Pro-Competitive Regulation of the Lobachevsky State University of Nizhniy Novgorod., the universities of Glasgow (Scotland), Uppsala (Sweden) with the support of the Scientific Information Center, Nizhny Novgorod. As a result of the cluster analysis, four social groups were identified that differ from each other in socio-economic characteristics and strategies of behavior in the labor market. The relationship between the level of education and the position on the labor market is clearly visible. In the group of affluent households, there are more people who have higher education. Higher education and qualification level allow one to occupy higher-paying positions, diversify career strategies even in a single-industry city. While in low-income families, the share of those who are employed in the industrial sector, in particular, at the city-forming enterprise, is higher. Affluent households show the greatest economic activity, while combining additional ways of earning with the main specialty. It is important to note that the lower the family income level, the less often they use the opportunities for additional earnings. People of retirement age, while maintaining an average level of economic activity and sufficient labor potential (education, skill level), are quite severely limited in employment opportunities. Factors reducing the material well-being of family are the presence of minor children, the position of a single parent, the status of a pensioner. Those living alone are also often low-income, especially women.
