JOB INSECURITY AND EMPLOYEESâ MOTIVATION TO ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Current economic slowdown in Russia can cause significant problems with employment in a number of national economy sectors. The article presents resu lts of econometric analysis of employees’ confidenc e levels in finding comparable new jobs in case of terminati on of current employment as well as of probability to be temporarily laid off without pay, projected onto em ployees’ participation in professional education pr ograms for different branches of the Russian economy. Sample used in the analysis represents Russia’s working population. Results demonstrate that those employed in agriculture, manufacturing, transport and communications are the most vulnerable while at the same time they are least of all involved in profes sional development programs. Personal characteristics of e mployees emerge as important determinants of their job security: Residents of large cities, the younger on es, those with shorter length of employment as well as with higher level of education, those better paid feel l ess vulnerable. All the aforementioned characterist ics are also positively related to active investment in building up the employees qualifications.