The digital divide and its impact on labor relations in Russia

This article presents a comprehensive sociological analysis of the impact of digital inequality on the professional sphere in the context of accelerated economic digitalization. The research focuses on three key aspects of the manifestation of the “digital divide”: technological (unequal access to digital resources), competence-based (the gap in the level of digital skills), and sociocultural (differences in readiness for digital transformation). The study combines quantitative methods of analyzing statistical data (Rosstat, Ministry of Digital Development, HSE University research for 2020–2023) with qualitative methods, including the analysis of specific cases of digital technology implementation in government institutions and the corporate sector. A series of expert interviews with HR specialists and digital transformation managers was also used. Special attention is paid to the regional differentiation of the digital divide: indicators for Moscow, St. Petersburg, and small towns/rural areas are compared in terms of broadband internet access, the use of modern HR platforms, and the level of digital literacy among workers. The analysis revealed a stable correlation between the level of digitalization of a region and the professional opportunities available to its residents. An innovative element of the conducted research is the concept of “digital backlash” – a situational gap between the formal implementation of digital technologies and their actual assimilation in professional practices, which is particularly characteristic of government institutions and traditional economic sectors. The article examines in detail the age-related and professional aspects of the digital divide. Using the case of implementing electronic document management in education and healthcare, it shows how the digital transformation of work processes encounters resistance from professional groups whose identity is formed around “analog” values and practices. The theoretical novelty of the work lies in its interdisciplinary approach, combining management theory, economic sociology, and digital studies, as well as in proposing an original theoretical framework for analyzing the digital divide. In contrast to traditional interpretations that emphasize the technological component, this article interprets the digital divide as a multidimensional social construct reproduced through educational institutions, corporate practices, and cultural norms.