This  paper  has  analyzed  the  social-economic  preconditions  of  innovation  development.  In  the course of research the authors discovered uneven spreading of innovation development in the world and its reasons; demonstrated the influence of different phases of business cycle on the innovation process and on the demand for adequate labor force (according to qualification and professional training); established the meaning of migration for reducing of its deficit; examined the role of large metropolitan areas in the labor force development; the special subject of the study is the structure of human capital, its formation and  correlation  of  its  components.  The  general  conclusion  –  the  adequate  quality  of  the  labor  force predetermine not only the possibility of innovation development itself but its effectiveness as well.