MOSCOW, October 7, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the data describing what kind of jobs Russians would like their children to have, and what professions seem most prestigious and highly paid for Russians.

As before, Russians want their children to have medical profession (21%). The second place is held by lawyers and economists (12% for each). Nine percent would like their children to be entrepreneurs, followed by servicemen and teachers supported by 7% (for each), and programmers, and creative and working professions supported by 6% (for each). Ranked lower are engineers (5%), builders, sportsmen (4% for each), bankers, accountants, managers, oilmen, service workers (3% for each), researchers, public servants, politicians (2% for each). Least popular professions are as follows:  interpreter, journalist, and machinist (1% for each).

Doctors have become more popular over the recent three years (from 18 to 21%). Entrepreneurship has become more attractive for Russians (from 5 to 9%); working professions has got more prestigious (6% now, mentioned by no one in 2006). On the contrary, Russians would better choose their children to be lawyers (12% versus 17% in 2006).

As before, legal career is at the top of the most prestigious professions rating (20%).  Doctor and economist rank second (12% for each), followed by banker (7%), programmer, public servant (6% for each); other 6% of respondents prefer business related field. Five percent think it is prestigious to be a worker; those who support being a teacher or artist (designer, performer) are 4% for each. Such professions as accountant, serviceman, director, engineer, manager, builder or oilman (3% for each) are ranked lower. According to Russians, being a researcher, agricultural worker, sportsman, interpreter, and psychologist is least prestigious (1% for each).

The attitudes of Russians about prestige have changed. The prestige of working professions has increased (from 1 to 5%). On the contrary, the following professions are less supported by respondents: lawyer (20% versus 28% in 2006), economist (12% versus 20% respectively), banker (6% versus 10%), and entrepreneur (6% versus 10%).

Currently the profession of lawyer is the most profitable for Russians (14%). Thirteen percent say that it is much profitable to be an entrepreneur, 11% - to be a banker, followed by those who mention economist and public servant (8% for each), doctor (7%), and service worker (5%). Four percent of Russians (per each group) are confident that the highest paid professions are servicemen, chiefs, oilmen, workers (4% for each); programmers, builders,  and creative professions are at 3% (for each); accountants, managers are at 2%. Least paid professions are regarded to be teachers, sportsmen, real estate agents, customs officers (1% for each).

For the time being the following professions seem less profitable for Russians than they used to be three years ago:  lawyer (14% versus 23% in 2006), economist (8% versus 12%), banker (11% versus 14%), and private entrepreneur (13% versus 20%). At the same time, the rating of being a worker has risen (from 1 to 4%).  

The initiative Russian opinion polls were conducted on September 19-20, 2009. 1600 respondents were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia. The margin oferror does not exceed 3.4 %.

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or www.wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!