The labor market in the field of food and agrobiotechnology in the Rostov region

The relevance of the research is due to the structural transformation of the agro-industrial complex of the Rostov region, the transition to a new technological order of bioeconomics and the growing shortage of qualified personnel capable of working at the junction of biotechnology, food engineering, bioinformatics and industrial automation. The purpose of the work is to analyze the labor market and the personnel training system for the food and agrobiotechnology sector in the region. The methodology includes statistical analysis of Rostovstat data for 2015-2025, and content analysis of vacancies (hh.ru , "Work in Russia"), a comparative analysis of supply and demand, as well as expert surveys of 15 largest enterprises. Results: unemployment decreased from 5.6% to 3.8%, the share of vacancies with higher education increased to 65%, the salary of biotechnologists reached 68-105 thousand rubles. There is a total shortage of staff: technologists (-280 people), biotechnological engineers (-60 people, demand is 3.8 times higher than output). The most acute competence gaps were recorded in bioprocess scaling (72%) and bioinformatics (45%). Scientific novelty - the structure of deficient interdisciplinary competencies has been clarified. Practical significance - recommendations on advanced training for the bioeconomy of the region have been developed.