UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE EMERGENCE OF POVERTY DURING ECONOMIC-REFORM IN RUSSIA

Until the 1990s, poverty was an unfamiliar concept to Russian social s cientists. The Soviet system recognized only ''persons not sufficientl y provided for'' - a purely economic issue to be dealt with through th e system's redistributive mechanisms. As a result of economic reform, however, living standards have collapsed, income differentials are wid ening and perceptions of poverty are changing, Examining these develop ments in terms of emerging unemployment, the official minimum subsiste nce level and vulnerable social groups, the author concludes that Russ ia's poor are becoming socially marginalized. This trend, she argues, calls for a strong social policy, active measures for employment creat ion and, possibly, rapid restructuring of employment even at the risk of a temporary surge in unemployment.