Some Basic Factors of Labor Productivity in the Regions of Russia

Abstract

The article discusses the questions of identifying and researching factors that providing economic growth and increasing labor productivity in the process of forming the post-industrial economy of modern Russia. It is shown that Russian and foreign research on this subject are largely controversial — a set of factors affecting labor productivity has not been adequately established, in many cases the estimates obtained do not differ from those previously known, turn out to be insignificant or raise doubts about the neglect of methodological norms, or statistically incorrect approaches. The conclusion drawn on the need for additional research based on the use of a new technique, which consists in assessing the coefficients of productivity elasticity using data that vary across all regions of Russia. This article reflects the stage of the study, which tested 10 indicators for the last three years for all regions of the Russian Federation. Because of the analysis, specification matrixes of indicators characterizing the influence of these factors on labor productivity obtained, and the characteristics of their correlation with productivity evaluated by the F-criterion. It is concluded that 6 indicators have a significant correlation. We also analyzed the correlation between the indicators to detect multicollenarity. It is concluded that the following factors have a significant positive effect on labor productivity in the regions of modern Russia: personal computers in organizations, personal computers with Internet access in organizations, personnel engaged in research and development, researchers with advanced degrees. Closely related to these factors are the factors of transport infrastructure and the number of faculty of universities, which can affect labor productivity.