WORKERS’ COGNITIVE CAPITAL AS A COMPETITIVENESS FACTOR IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Author(s): Virina I.V.

Rubric: Economy

DOI: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-3-42-49

Release: 2026-3 (58)

Pages: 42-49

Keywords: cognitive capital, human capital, intellectual capital, labor force competitiveness, digital economy, cognitive competencies, labor market, sustainable employment

Annotation: The article reveals the economic content of a worker’s cognitive capital as an independent economic category of the digital economy. Theoretical and methodological approaches of domestic and foreign researchers to studying the cognitive determinants of labour force competitiveness are systematised. The categories of human, intellectual and cognitive capital of a worker are differentiated by object, level of analysis, nature of the resource, depreciation mechanism and resistance to generative artificial intelligence. It is shown that cognitive capital describes neither an accumulated stock of knowledge nor the moment of its market realisation, but a dynamic ability to form a well-grounded judgment where no ready-made decision algorithm exists. A three-component structure of cognitive capital is proposed, comprising ana- lytical, adaptive and reflexive elements that acquire economic value only in combination. The dynamics of employer requirements is analysed using successive editions of the World Economic Forum “Future of Jobs” report. It is substantiated that amid the accelerating obsolescence of professional skills a worker’s competitive advantage is provided no longer by a particular set of competencies, but by the ability to revise them continuously. Practical conclusions have been formulated for employers, educational organizations, and the workers themselves.

Bibliography: Virina I.V. WORKERS’ COGNITIVE CAPITAL AS A COMPETITIVENESS FACTOR IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY // Economics and Management. – 2026. – № 3 (58). – С. 42-49. doi: 10.21777/2587-554X-2026-3-42-49