Unemployment and online job boards in Russia: A Beveridge curve perspective

The Journal of the New Economic Association. 2026. No. 1(70). P. 279–301.

Paklina S., Parshakov P., Teplykh G.

This paper investigates the relationship between online recruitment and unemployment in Russia within the Beveridge curve (the unemployment–vacancy curve) framework. Using panel data for 81 Russian regions over the period 2006–2022, we examine how the expansion of online job boards affects regional unemployment dynamics. The empirical
analysis is based on fi xed- effects and instrumental- variable specifi cations that account for regional heterogeneity, time effects, and potential endogeneity. The results confi rm the validity of the Beveridge curve in the Russian context and reveal a statistically signifi cant negative association between online vacancy rates and unemployment. While traditional vacancies reported to public employment services remain important, the role of online platforms has strengthened notably in recent years, particularly during and after the COVID-19 period. The effect of online recruitment is heterogeneous across demographic groups: it is the strongest among younger workers (age 20–39), women, and individuals with lower levels of education. The findings highlight the growing importance of digital matching mechanisms and suggest that a balanced combination of traditional and online recruitment channels can enhance labor market effi ciency and inform employment policy.

Keywords: Russian labour market, Beveridge curve, online job boards, online recruitment, unemployment–vacancy curve