The subject of this article is the analysis of socio-economic and socio-political factors and mechanisms of Russian rural residents# activities at the labour market in the period of reforms. The author revealed the internal and external regulators of economic activities, global, special Russian and regional factors, factors of macro-level and micro-level. A.M. Sergiyenko analyzed such factors as wages and other incomes, labour conditions, social guarantees, potential unemployment and fear of job loss, lack of workplaces and real unemployment, poverty and social disparities, employment status, social and economic policy.