In the thesis, the theoretical generalization is made and the new decision of an
important scientific problem concerning substantiation of bases and reproduction measures
of the human capital of rural areas is offered.
The category "human capital" is considered as inherited and acquired abilities of
individuals, characterized by a set of knowledge, skills, abilities, health, culture, traditions,
experience, the use of which is carried out in agriculture and other business activities, the
functioning of the social sphere and environmental protection.
It is substantiated that the human capital of rural areas as a complex category should
be studied from the standpoint of social – rural areas – and economic nature. The
characteristic features of the human capital of rural areas are systematized, which are
actualized only in the conditions of the socio-economic and cultural environment.
An indicator approach to the assessment of human capital in rural areas based on the
calculation of individual and group indices of assessment of factors influencing its formation
and use is proposed. The indicator approach allows to determine the degree of influence of
factors on the formation and use of human capital in rural areas based on the ranking of
individual regions, amalgamated territorial communities and allows to identify unrealized
opportunities in these areas, as well as to predict their change in the future.
Violations of the age structure of the population were revealed; the number of people
of working age exceeds the number of young people; the number of women predominates in
the sexual structure; the share of the working population decreases and the share of
unemployed persons in the working population group increases accordingly. This situation
causes the aging of the rural population, so even in an optimistic scenario of rural
development, the working population will decrease, and the elderly – will increase, which in
the future will not compensate for the loss of the working population.
The dominance of rural employment in the private sector has been determined as well
as the deterioration of its economic situation, the expansion of rural poverty, an increase in
the share of the unemployed, a significant decrease in its employment in rural areas where
land banks of agricultural holdings were formed, reduction of employment in social sectors
villages, etc.
The socio-economic conditions for the reproduction of human capital in rural areas
are systematized: maintaining the priority of agricultural production and the rural economy;
improving the quality of its reproduction, which is determined by the ability of local
governments to form public-private partnerships with the rural population; optimization of
the network of medical and educational institutions in rural areas, low rates of development
of social and engineering infrastructure of rural areas; growth of differentiation of the rural
population by income level and quality of life; the transition to innovative technologies in
agricultural production and the development of agricultural holdings leads to a steady
reduction in employment of the rural population and a decrease in its total real income;
increasing the level of self-employment of the rural population; the outflow of the rural
population is associated with the "washing out" of the entrepreneurially active population
and the decline in the quality of human capital; increasing social tension, which causes the
deformation of the reproductive dynamics.
It is substantiated that the main document regulating promising areas of human capital
development in rural areas should be the strategy of rural development, one of the tasks of
which is to identify areas to improve economic and social efficiency of human capital and its
quality. It is proved that the conditions for the expanded reproduction of human capital in
rural areas should be formed on the basis of the interaction of such elements as the activation
of entrepreneurial resources; improving the quality of labor potential of the rural population;
development of social infrastructure, as well as production and market for small businesses.
The necessity of elaboration of tools and measures to intensify the reproduction of
human capital taking into account the indicators of the achieved level of its formation and
use is proved, as well as forecasting their change in the regional aspect and at the territorial
community level that can be realized based on the proposed methodological approach.
It is determined that in the future there may be a migratory increase in the rural
population and increased life expectancy with equalization of wages in agriculture compared
to other sectors of the economy, as well as a slight decrease in the number of employees in
the corporate sector.
