SOCIAL MOBILITY IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Abstract

Mobility of workforce is one of the driving forces of a market economy and an important regulator of the labor market. In the current context, its dynamics, intensity and multidirectionality have significantly increased. An important factor influencing mobility is the digitalization of the economy, which causes significant changes in the content, nature and technology of labor and production processes, creates new requirements for the workforce, and promotes employment flexibility and employee mobility. The behavioral model focused on stable guaranteed employment is changing to that of a mobile worker. Digitalization is causing new trends in the development of all forms of social mobility, which are intertwined and interact with each other. None of them can be considered in isolation. The article aims at revealing the content of social mobility as interconnected movements of individuals in different spheres of life, which lead to changes in their social position, defining its functions, forms, development trends and formulating recommendations for its regulation.

In the light of these changes, the article improves methodological approaches to defining social functions, dimensions of mobility and its new trends. The main forms (social dimensions) of mobility are analyzed: labor, educational, sectoral and territorial. The methods used include scientific abstraction, analysis and synthesis in defining social mobility and its components, quantitative and qualitative analysis in interpreting statistical and sociological data, and a systematic approach in developing practical recommendations. In accordance with the latest trends in social mobility and in the context of its components, the author proposes relevant measures for its regulation. Prospects for further research lie in an in-depth analysis of the challenges and risks that may accompany the increasing and unpredictable effects of social mobility.