The article examines the employment of the rural population in the Central Chernozem region, identifies problems and the level of unemployment in rural areas, which are caused by a reduction in the number of rural population, a violation of reproduction processes, a regressive age structure in rural areas, migration processes, the development of integrated agro-industrial formations characterized by innovative and investment transformations in agriculture, and as a consequence, the introduction of new progressive equipment and technologies that reduce the need for jobs. Employment in the horticulture industry of the Lipetsk region and, in particular, in the Lebedyansky municipal district, where the greatest concentration of horticultural enterprises is analyzed. The experience of advanced enterprises of the horticultural industry in attracting specialists to the village is presented. The assessment of the human potential of the horticultural industry of the Lipetsk region is given, in the formation of which the determining role is assigned to educational institutions of secondary and higher professional education. A more in-depth organization of labor and its payment in the horticulture industry is considered on the example of CJSC "Agrofirma named after 15 years of October" and LLC "Agronom-garden" of the Lebedyansky district of the Lipetsk region, in the horticulture of which the introduction of innovative technologies is carried out to the greatest extent. The paper shows investment projects that promote import substitution of fruits and berries and mainly increase employment. The special importance of seasonal employment in the industry during more stressful periods of work is noted as a way to overcome temporary periods of unemployment, when horticultural enterprises attract temporary workers, as a rule, for harvesting seed and stone fruits, as well as berry bushes. The assessment of the level of wages in agriculture of the Central Asian Republic and the horticulture industry in particular is given.