The Role of Digital Personnel in the Cyber Economy

Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to specify the long-term consequences of a transition to the cyber economy for digital personnel, which are required and created for its formation, in the interests of preventing a social crisis through determining the place and role of digital personnel in the cyber economy. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use regression analysis for determining the current value of digital personnel for the forming cyber economy (at the current stage of the digital economy) and for evaluating the influence of the share of specialists in the sphere of information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the level of digital competitiveness as an indicator of readiness for transition to the cyber economy. The research is performed using a selection of countries that show the best results in the sphere of digital modernization of economy (Top 30) in 2018. The information and analytical basis of the research is statistical data produced by the National Research University “Higher School of Economics” and the IMD. Findings: It is determined that a high level of automatization (up to full automatization) can only be achieved at one of the four stages (the production stage) using the algorithm for the creation of added value in the conditions of the cyber economy. All other stages will require different types of digital personnel, including specialists in the spheres of ICT, machine building, and extremely specialized sectoral digital personnel, who will have the key role, performing essential functions with machine technical support. Originality/value: It is established that there is a low level of risk of a social crisis in the labor market. It is shown that specialists with high levels of qualification will be in the highest demand. The main priority in the training and development of digital personnel should be paid not to quantitative (number of personnel trained) but qualitative indicators (the level of personnel qualification).