Typology of the Labor Orientation of Student Youth in the Context of Labor Market Transformation

Introduction. In the context of uncertainty in the contemporary labour market, driven by shifting trends, automation, the introduction of artificial intelligence, and the growth of platform employment, young people demonstrate various adaptation strategies: from proactive career planning to reactive behaviour and rejection of purposeful actions. Particular attention is paid to the student cohort as a group in a transitional status, when labour attitudes are only being formed and subsequently determine the success of entering the labour market. Purpose. This study aims to construct a typology of students’ labour orientations. Methods. The empirical data come from a survey of university students conducted in October–November 2024 across four Russian regions (n = 933 after data cleaning). Factor analysis (PCA with Varimax rotation) was used to identify latent dimensions of labour attitudes. The typology was constructed using cluster analysis: the number of clusters was determined by hierarchical Ward’s method, and the final clustering was performed with k-means. Results. Three latent dimensions of labour attitudes were identified: instrumental motivation and labour pragmatism, professional orientation and engagement, and self-employment and entrepreneurial orientation. Based on these, four student types were distinguished. “Innovators” (19%) score high on all three factors; this group is predominantly male, enrolled in engineering programmes, and characterised by high income, optimism, and a propensity for migration.“Conformists” (33%) combine high professional motivation with low instrumental concerns; they report the highest fulfilment of educational plans, minimal financial anxiety, and low migration intentions. “Ritualists” (31%) show reduced entrepreneurial and professional orientation; they are predominantly medical students facing financial instability and holding pessimistic expectations. “Retreatists” (17%) exhibit very low professional and entrepreneurial motivation. They demonstrate the lowest level of fulfilment of educational plans, report low subjective well-being, and are frequently engaged in secondary employment outside their field of study. Conclusions. Students’ labour orientations are not limited to the dichotomy of professional employment versus complete withdrawal from the labour market. Instead, they encompass both proactive strategies — such as entrepreneurship — and defensive ones, including wait-and-see behaviour and avoidance of active choice. The typology aligns with existing literature highlighting the growing uncertainty in youth trajectories and the differentiating effect of parental family resources. Future research should explore the stability of these types as graduates transition into the labour market and examine how labour orientations translate into actual career trajectories.