Hello all,

I've asked a very broad question, so I'll list some example questions of what I am looking for. I've always been curious about employment in a system where the government owns everything.

To what degree were wages equal in the Soviet Union?

Did everyone with the same job class earn the same amount of money (For example, did a bus driver in Moscow earn as much as a bus driver in Novosibirsk)?

How did job-to-job compensation compare to America (i.e. teacher in the USSR versus teacher in America for example)?

Did people have bargaining power over their wages?

What were the highest compensated and least compensated professions?

Was there unemployment in the Soviet Union? If not, what did the people who would have been unemployed in a different political system do? If yes, what was unemployment benefit like?

What would be some good reads for someone interested in jobs in the USSR?

How did you obtain the job you obtained? Was there flexibility to change careers?

What were working hours like in the Soviet Union? Was there a concept of overtime? If so, what was overtime like?

Was there "retirement" in the USSR?

Thank you in advance for time spent answering this question.