SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE POPULATION IN THE CHELYABINSK REGION IN COMPARISON WITH THE URAL FEDERAL DISTRICT AND RUSSIA

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on most indicators characterizing the quality of life of the population in 2020–2021. Currently, there is an urgent question of fi nding ways for society to respond effectively to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily for the social sphere system, employment promotion institutions, migration regulation, demographic policy implementation, etc. The high level of diff erentiation of the subjects of the Russian Federation in terms of the consequences of its impact on the quality of life of the population determines the need to identify the factors that turned out to be the most signifi cant during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the study, based on statistical data, the dynamics of key socio-economic indicators of the Chelyabinsk region was analyzed in comparison with similar indicators of the Ural Federal District and the Russian Federation as a whole. It was found that the low level of demand from households was one of the key constraints on economic development, generally hindering the exit of the Russian economy from the stagnation regime, especially after its collapse in a pandemic. That is why improving the standard of living of the population is among the most priority tasks in determining the directions of socio-economic policy. An increase in the incomes of the least affl uent groups of the population has not only social justifi cations, but also directly aff ects the growth rate of the economy.