The Specifics of Labor Pendulum Migration in Agglomeration Centers and Satellite Cities

Labor intraregional migration is based on different strategies in different periods of a person's life, and as a phenomenon in the labor market it has a significant impact on the quantity and quality of able-bodied population located in the territory. This article is a continuation of the research devoted to the analysis of the possibilities of social networks in identifying the peculiarities of labor intraregional migration of cities with millions of people in the Russian Federation. Official statistical data do not allow us to estimate the magnitude of labor intraregional migration in terms of gender and age. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the possibilities of social network data in the analysis of the gender and age structure of labor intraregional migration on the example of two cities with millions of inhabitants (Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk) and their satellite cities. The main research methods were social network analytics, comparative analysis, statistical methods and data visualization. The empirical data were anonymized data of VKontakte social network users and Rosstat data. The analysis revealed the scale, directions and specific features of the gender and age structure of labor intraregional migration of the cities under study. It was found that the main share of labor intraregional migrants from satellite cities to agglomeration centers are people aged 29–43, with women being more active at the age of 29–38 and men at the age of 29–43, the share of women is generally lower than men. The high share of women leaving for work in another city, which exceeds not only the corresponding indicator in satellite cities, but is also higher than the share of men (51% for Yekaterinburg and 65% for Chelyabinsk), is a peculiarity of labor intraregional migration of residents of cities with a million inhabitants. The results of the study can contribute to the targeted management of migration flows, be used in the development of regional and municipal strategies of socio-economic development, the formation of programs to support employment of the population of certain age groups, as well as planning the location of transport infrastructure facilities. Further research by the authors will be aimed at expanding the range of cities and clarifying the regularity of labor migrants’ trips using additional tools - analysis of cellular operators’ data.