When observing the economic situation in modern Russia, a contradiction with the Oaken's law was revealed. To investigate this inconsistency, the essence of the law was outlined, its effect was shown and the situation on the labor market in the Russian Federation during the period of instability was analyzed. The study showed that when external shocks affect the economy, empirically established patterns can be violated. The result was an explanation of the discrepancy between the theoretical and practical aspects of the economy.