HUMAN CAPITAL AS A FACTOR IN REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH:NEW APPROACHES TO FINANCING IN THE CONTEXT OF DECENTRALIZATION

Abstract

Subject. This article discusses the peculiarities of forming a holistic approach to assessing human capital as an economic resource of regions to improve the efficiency of its use in the context of decentralization. Objectives. The article aims to study human capital as a factor in the economic growth of regions in the context of decentralization, identify interregional disparities in its development, and substantiate strategic areas for intensifying the formation, funding, and effective use of human potential at the territorial level. Methods. For the study, I used analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, abstraction, comparison, generalization, and systems and dialectical methods. Results. The article proposes strategic areas for intensifying and financing the development of human capital, taking into account modern challenges, and it pays particular attention to the institutional capacities of regions. The article substantiates current approaches to financing human capital in the context of the transition to a decentralization model, as well as in the systematization of data on investments in human resources for 20232025, and it formulates proposals for improving the sustainability of regional development through the optimization of inter-budgetary transfers, taking into account the existing interregional imbalances in the Human Development Index. Relevance. The results obtained have a certain practical value, as they can help regions more effectively utilize their potential, attract investment, create new jobs, and develop their own unique strategies for human capital development based on territorial characteristics.