Theoretical aspects of labor force development in the Far North regions

Popova Nadezhda Kornilova

The capital seeks in high value-added industries and is followed by the labor. A natural desire to reduce costs, including labor, affects the shifting paradigm of social and labor relations. The conducted study of foreign and Russian scientific concepts about labor, the analysis of statistical materials show the expediency of interpreting the socio-economic category “labor” at the junction of three scientific theories: the theory of productive forces, the theory of human capital and the theory of the allocation of labor resources. In the regions of the Far North the harsh climatic conditions and high production costs affect the costs of the labor force. The author's definition of the external and internal conditions of the labor force functioning is based on the criteria of their objectivity and dynamism. Thanks to the interaction of the three scientific concepts, the author's interpretation of the labor force focuses on socially useful work and the welfare of society and the individual. This means that the economic category "labor force" is considered from the position of dynamic interaction of the elements of a socio-economic system. For the regions of the Far North, especially those included into the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the presented interpretation of the "labor force" allows to reveal financial, economic, technological and social components that affect the cost and quality of the labor force.

Keywords:labor force, labor cost, employment, unemployment, variable capital.