Material and social well-being of professionally motivated workers in rural areas

Issue № 3, 2026, article № 15, pages 131-141

Language: Russian

Original language title: МАТЕРИАЛЬНОЕ И СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ БЛАГОПОЛУЧИЕ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНО МОТИВИРОВАННЫХ РАБОТНИКОВ В СЕЛЬСКОЙ МЕСТНОСТИ

Keywords: RURAL AREAS, HUMAN CAPITAL, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, WORKER, PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, WELL-BEING

Abstract: This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the material and social well-being of professionally motivated workers living and working in rural areas. The relevance of the study stems from the need to address the challenges of balanced territorial development in Russia and the retention of human capital in rural areas in the face of demographic challenges and digitalization. Professionally motivated workers are viewed as key individuals whose decision to work and live in rural areas directly depends on their sense of well-being. The aim of the study is to identify the relationship between professional motivation and material and social well-being, as well as to compare these indicators among various professional and qualification groups of rural workers (managers, specialists, skilled workers, etc.). The empirical basis for the study is data from a representative sociological survey (N=1215) conducted by the Institute of Agrarian Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences in rural areas of the Saratov Region (N = 1215). The scientific novelty lies in bridging the gap between the study of professional motivation and well-being in isolation from the territorial context. The results of the study have practical significance for the formation of targeted socio-economic policies aimed at retaining motivated specialists in rural areas and improving their quality of life.

Authors: Bocharova Elena Viktorovna