ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS OF HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY AND RURAL AREAS OF THE BELGOROD REGION

Issue № 2, 2026, article № 23, pages 227-235

Section:

Language: Russian

Original language title: ОЦЕНКА СОСТОЯНИЯ И ТЕНДЕНЦИЙ РАЗВИТИЯ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСКОГО КАПИТАЛА АГАРНОГО СЕКТОРА ЭКОНОМИКИ И СЕЛЬСКИХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ БЕЛГОРОДСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Keywords: AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY, BELGOROD REGION, RURAL AREAS, HUMAN CAPITAL

Abstract: The current development of the agricultural sector of the Belgorod Region depends not only on natural, climatic, and technological factors but also on the quality of human capital concentrated in the region's rural areas. In the context of accelerating technological modernization, the requirements for highly qualified human resources in agricultural production are increasing significantly. At the same time, demographic trends are creating risks of deformation of the agricultural sector's labor force and, consequently, human capital. This study conducted a quantitative analysis of human capital formation in the Belgorod Region's agricultural sector based on demographic and economic indicators for the period 2010–2023. The data obtained indicate that the demographic situation in rural areas of the Belgorod Region remains challenging. Despite a number of positive changes, a trend toward a redistribution of the employed population from the agricultural sector to other sectors of the economy persists. The share of people employed in the Belgorod Region's agricultural sector exceeds the Russian average by more than two times and is characterized by a more moderate rate of decline. The analysis also indicates low worker retention in agricultural organizations in the region, exacerbating the problem of human capital formation. At the same time, the growth in the number of skilled workers is commendable. It was found that, despite relatively competitive wages, the problem of labor shortages in the agricultural sector remains pressing. The analysis highlights the need to develop and implement a set of targeted measures aimed at improving the mechanisms for the formation and development of human capital in the Belgorod Region's agricultural sector.

Authors: Vlasova Tatiana Alexandrovna, Askerov Pulat Fazailovich, Fedotenkova Olga Anatolevna