Bureau of National statistics
Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Employment and unemployment 
According to the sample survey of employment of the population for the 4st quarter of 2023. 9 million people were employed in various sectors of the economy of Kazakhstan , of which 6.9 million people worked for hire (76.4% of the total number of people employed in the economy), 2.1 million people were self-employed (23.6% of the total number of people employed in the economy).
Compared with the 4st quarter of 2022, total employment increased by 76.7 thousand people, mainly due to employees (75.4 thousand people), the number of self-employed (by 1.3 thousand people).
The largest share of employees was observed in trade (16.7%), education (13.2%), industry (12.3%) and agriculture (11.5%).
At the main job, on average, the actual hours worked per week were 39 hours per employed person, 41 hours per employee, and 35 hours per self-employed worker.
The number of people who were unemployed but were not looking for a job or were not ready to start working (potential labor force) amounted to 29.3 thousand people.
The proportion of persons not included in the labor force was 31.7% of the population aged 15 and over.
The unemployment rate (according to the ILO methodology) decreased by 0.1% and amounted to 4.7% compared to 4st 2022.
Officially at the end of December this year. in the employment agencies of the MLSP RK 127.8 thousand people were registered as unemployed. Share of registered unemployed compared to 4st quarter of the previous year a increased by 0.4 percentage points and amounted to 1.8 % of the labor force.
The unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 34 compared to 3.4%.
| Labor force, people | Employed population, people | Including | Unemployed population, people | Unemployment rate, % |
Youth unemployment rate*, % (aged 15-34) |
Persons not included in the labor force, people | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wage-earners | self-employed workers | |||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||
| I quarter | 9 232 393 | 8 781 122 | 6 702 718 | 2078404 | 451 271 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4 108 763 |
| II quarter | 9 256 383 | 8 805 024 | 6 700 319 | 2104705 | 451 359 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4 072 404 |
| III quarter | 9 263 614 | 8 812 861 | 6 684 896 | 2 127 965 | 450 753 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4 063 470 |
| IV quarter | 9 262 301 | 8 811 894 | 6 717 036 | 2094858 | 450 407 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 4 058 508 |
| 2022 | ||||||||
| I quarter | 9 419 497 | 8 959 601 | 6 860 875 | 2098726 | 459 896 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4 267 930 |
| II quarter | 9 431 321 | 8 971 044 | 6 841 372 | 2 129 390 | 460 277 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4 257 752 |
| III quarter | 9 430 788 | 8 971 603 | 6 837 764 | 2 133 839 | 459 185 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4 260 470 |
| IV quarter | 9 421 585 | 8 965 536 | 6 830 886 | 2134650 | 456 049 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4 268 903 |
| 2023 | ||||||||
| I quarter | 9 485 343 | 9 031 890 | 6 900 406 | 2 131 484 | 453 453 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4 410 747 |
| II quarter | 9 567 725 | 9 115 082 | 6 945 820 | 2 169 262 | 452 643 | 4,7 | 3,6 | 4 329 223 |
| III quarter | 9 557 543 | 9 106 057 | 6 916 121 | 2 189 936 | 451 486 | 4,7 | 3,3 | 4 339 339 |
| IV quarter | 9 488 162 | 9 042 276 | 6 906 331 | 2 135 945 | 445 886 | 4,7 | 3,4 | 4 406 657 |
* 2021-2022 the data were generated in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On State Youth Policy", aged 15-28, under 29 years old (28+). From January 1, 2023 the age of young people is increased to 35 years.
The labor force is the employed and unemployed population.
Employed person – a natural person who carries out activities for payment or by deriving income through the use of property, the production and sale of goods, the performance of work, the provision of services.
Employed persons include:
1) employees, as well as persons having other paid work (elected, appointed or approved);
2) individual entrepreneurs;
3) persons engaged in private practice;
4) individuals carrying out activities under a civil law contract that are not employees;
5) individuals who are founders (participants) of business partnerships and founders, shareholders (participants) of joint-stock companies, as well as members of production cooperatives;
6) independent workers;
7) serving in the Armed Forces, other troops and military formations, law enforcement and special state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
An unemployed person is a natural person who is looking for a job and is ready to start work.
The unemployment rate is the share of the unemployed in the labor force, measured as a percentage.
The youth unemployment rate at the age of 15-34 is the share of the unemployed population aged 15-34 in the labor force at the same age, measured as a percentage.
The long-term unemployment rate is the proportion of the unemployed population who have been unemployed for 1 year or more in the labor force, measured as a percentage.
Persons outside the labor force - persons who are not employed or unemployed.
In the Republic of Kazakhstan, since 2001, sample surveys of employment of the population have been conducted. The survey covers all regions of the republic on the basis of a selective method of observation with subsequent distribution of the results to the entire population. The units of observation are households and persons aged 15 and over.
The presented indicators are based on the results of a sample survey on an extended network of households (4.3% of the total number of households), the sample is formed once a year. Lists of households are formed on the basis of the Register of Housing Stock of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The sampling methodology was developed jointly with experts from the German Statistical Office DESTATIS as part of the KAZSTAT Project to Strengthen the National Statistical System of Kazakhstan.
The results of the survey were disseminated taking into account the current demographic statistics.
The survey of the population is carried out using the Questionnaire for a sample survey of employment of the population, which contains questions that characterize each member of the household. The questionnaire is structured according to the principle of a logical sequence of questions, on the basis of which the population is classified into employed or unemployed and persons not included in the labor force.
Concepts and definitions are given in accordance with the Law of the Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated April 20, 2023, as well as in accordance with the standards and methodological approaches of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
