If you were a young specialist who just graduated from university you would usually be assigned to a job right out of the gate (the so-called job by distribution), and you had an obligation to work there for a certain period of time (usually around 3 years).
What were wages like in the Soviet Union?
Salary range was very small (as compared to capitalist economies), depending on various factors it was between 50–60 rubles (for least qualified manual labor such as street cleaners) to 200–300 roubles per month for factory directors and local party leaders, some specialists.
Could you choose your job in the Soviet Union?
The answer is yes. All education (high as well) was free of charge and you could get any education you like. After finishing high education you were garuanteed to take a job in this sphere. So people were free to chose anything they like, get free education and then get job in this sphere.
How did people in the Soviet Union find jobs?
Therefore, giving a job in some place (together with the living quarters) was one of the methods to attract talented people (you couldn’t give them more money), although, in the absence of competition, such thing was rarely needed. Another complain was that this system of placement didn’t brake young families.
How did working conditions change in the Soviet Union?
Working conditions for a Soviet worker changed over time; for instance, at the beginning of the Communist regime the government pursued a policy of worker participation at the enterprise level.
What was the working class policy in the Soviet Union?
Soviet workers were not controlled by the stick and carrot (the carrot being increased wages and the stick being unemployment). The early Soviet government ensued a policy of pushing more women into urban industrial employment; these policies were ideologically, politically and/or economically driven.
What was the standard of living in the Soviet Union?
Social wages were also an important part of the general standard of living for an average household; it stood at 23.4 percent of income for the average Soviet worker and their family, and at 19.1 percent for the family income of collective farmers.