CHARACTERISTICS AND TRENDS OF RURAL EMPLOYED POPULATION: REGIONAL DISPARITIES

The human capital, the quantity and quality of labor resources affect the rural development pattern. Knowing the level and structure of labor resources, the socio-professional structure, by age and educational level, as well as the territorial distribution of labour force provides an opportunity for a better understanding of the development level of rural areas. This paper aims to conduct an analysis of rural occupational structures at regional level, using indicators that describe the current situation and developments in the occupational structure by age and educational level. The conclusion that emerges is that the economic development determined the compression of rural employment in the period 2002–2007. The structure of employed population by age and level of education has changed significantly in the direction of increased rural employment of the population belonging to the age group “65 years and over” and increased employment for the rural population with low educational level.human capital, rural employed population, rural area.