The problem of population ageing in Russia is increasingly attracting attention of scientists and
politicians. Long ago researchers recognized the irreversibility of the population ageing process in the
conditions of narrowed population reproduction, but the measures to mitigate the consequences in our
country, unlike Western countries, are not well developed yet. Population ageing with high probability leads
to the change in labor market functioning due to the reduction in the share of able-bodied population and
children and, consequently, the permanent increase in the proportion of older people in the total number
of population. In these conditions the effective realization of resource potential of the older generation
becomes one of the most important factors in socio-economic development of the territory. This article
is aimed at studying the changes and specifics of labor activity of the population of retirement age on the
example of the Vologda Oblast. The first part of the article is devoted to the main aspects of the impact
of population ageing on economic development. It considers the prerequisites for the formation of the
regressive age structure of population in the country and the region, determines the level of “age” of Russia
and the Vologda Oblast. It identifies the features of population ageing of the region and its districts and
the underlying factors of transformation of the age structure of the territory. The second part of the article
presents the analysis of changes in the economic activity of the population of retirement age in the Vologda
Oblast, the structure of employment of the older generation. On the basis of the sociological survey data the
author describes the key incentives to continue working in retirement age, the current level of employment
of seniors, and the difference between actual and nominal retirement age, etc. The main conclusion of the
article is the following: the population of retirement age in the Vologda Oblast has considerable resource
potential. Its realization can be a significant factor in socio-economic development of the territory in the
conditions of population aging. For this purpose it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for the
employment of older people at the level of regional authorities and business structures
Keywords
population ageing, retirement age, the elderly, labor activity, transformation of the age structure