In the second quarter of 2024 Kazakhstan’s labor market demonstrated stable employment and unemployment indicators, confirming the resilience of the country’s economy under current conditions.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the employment rate among the population aged 15 and older was 64.9%, while the unemployment rate, calculated according to the methodology of the International Labour Organization (ILO), remained at 4.7%.
Employment Dynamics
In the second quarter of 2024, the total number of employed people reached 9.2 million, an increase of 75.3 thousand compared to the same period in the previous year. The most notable growth was seen among the self-employed, whose number increased by 50.1 thousand. The number of wage workers also grew by 25.2 thousand, reflecting improved job opportunities and stability in the labor market.
Employment distribution across economic sectors shows that the highest employment was observed in trade (16.8%), education (13%), industry (12.6%), and agriculture (11.5%). These sectors continue to be key drivers of employment, providing jobs for a significant portion of the population.
The average working hours per week on primary jobs in the second quarter were 38 hours, with wage workers averaging 40 hours and the self-employed averaging 35 hours. These figures indicate a reasonable distribution of workload and balanced employment among different categories of workers.
Unemployment Structure
The number of unemployed, calculated according to ILO methodology, amounted to 451 thousand people. At the same time, officially registered unemployed individuals totaled 314 thousand, an increase of 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period last year, representing 3.3% of the total labor force.
Special attention should be paid to the unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 34, which stood at 3.2%. This rate is lower than the general unemployment rate, indicating that the younger generation is gradually integrating into the labor market, despite the challenges they face in finding jobs.
In the second quarter of 2024 Kazakhstan’s labor market showed resilience despite the persistent unemployment rate. The growth in the number of employed people, especially among the self-employed, and high employment in key economic sectors indicate positive trends in employment. However, to ensure further stable economic growth, it is important to continue monitoring the labor market situation and actively take measures to reduce unemployment, especially among the youth.
The labor market is one of the most important indicators of the state of the economy, and its stability largely determines the socio-economic well-being of the country. Thus, maintaining the current trend and improving employment indicators will become key factors in ensuring sustainable economic growth for Kazakhstan in the future.
