OREANDA-NEWS  Low income for many Russians often turns into a "poverty trap", which they cannot get out of on their own, and for the state this situation turns into a loss of efficiency. This is stated in the article by Elena Vashalomidze from the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute (VNII) of Labor and Mikhail Dudin from the Institute of Market Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published in the latest issue of the journal "Social and Labor Research" of the VNII of Labor, which is referenced by RBC.

Scientists have suggested that in the future it is possible to get rid of the problem with the help of an "urgent guaranteed income" of economically vulnerable citizens, both working and unemployed. Those who are interested in additional education and, accordingly, in increasing labor productivity should receive it. Thus, the instrument would become one of the forms of unconditional basic income, the concept of which is being considered in many countries.

Currently, Russia is facing a gradual decline in labor productivity, which leads to a large proportion of working, but living on the verge of poverty citizens. At the same time, there is a significant income gap between the lowest and highest-paid workers, as well as a skew in the size of salaries towards the extractive sector.

In their assessment, the authors refer to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It follows from them that from 2011 to 2021, labor productivity in Russia (calculated through GDP in constant prices to the total labor force) decreased by an average of one percent per year, although in OECD countries (most of them are members of the European Union, also includes the USA, Canada, Japan and South Korea Korea) — grew by five percent.

On average, ten percent of the lowest salaries are 13 times less than ten percent of the highest. At the same time, Vashalomidze and Dudin note, the incomes of the highest-paid workers are almost unrelated to productivity, they will receive their money in any case.