Goncharova N.P., Noyanzina O.E. Subjective state of social exclusion of the migrant community in the Altai Krai labor market

Abstract: Subjective state of social exclusion of the migrant community of the Altai Krai labor market. The migrant workers, both legal and illegal, experience significant limitations within the region’s job market. Among the most affected are their social and legal rights in the job market, which makes seeking a legal course of actions to resolve work-related issues virtually impossible. The subjective state of the social exclusion lies within the fact that such conditions are unacceptable to the migrants; they find themselves unable to exercise their rights in the labor market. This article presents the results of a social research in the form of in-depth interviews with various categories of migrant workers of the Altai Krai. During the 2012 and 2013, a cycle of in-depth interviews was conducted with the migrant workers (n = 35, of which legal n = 20, and illegal n = 15). In the course of the research it became evident that the conditions of the job market generally met the demands of the migrants who were interviewed, as they arrive ready and willing to work for less pay, higher workload and only a verbal agreement about the terms and the rate of pay, which significantly increases the risk that these agreements will be violated. They justify accepting these work conditions due to the fact that most of the time the migrants do not have the necessary paperwork allowing them to legally live and work in that territory. Throughout their employment, they may often find themselves being discriminated against in both, their relations with the management, and their colleagues. The work of those belonging to a different ethnic group is usually greatly underrated. Trusting relationships with the native population are quite rare, thus the migrants prefer to live and spend leisure time among a community of their own.

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