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 9,3 million people were employed in various sectors of the economy of Kazakhstan, of which 7,1 million people worked for hire (76,9% of the total number of people employed in the economy), 2,2 million people were self-employed (23,1% of the total number of people employed in the economy).
Compared to the 1st quarter of 2024, total employment increased by 116,2 thousand people, due to hired employees (159,6 thousand people).
The largest share of employees was observed in trade (17%), education (13,4%), industry (12,5%) and agriculture (10,3%).
At the main job, on average, the actual hours worked per week were 39 hours per employed person, 41 hours per employee, and 36 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 20 thousand people.
The proportion of persons not included in the labor force was 32,4% of the population aged 15 and over.
The unemployment rate (according to the ILO methodology) compared to the 1st quarter of 2024 decreased by 0,1 percentage points and amounted to 4,6%.
Officially at the end of March 2025 in the employment agencies of the MLSP RK 323,7 thousand people were registered as unemployed. Share of registered unemployed people was 3,3 % of the labor force.
The unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 34 compared to 3,1%.
| 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 | |||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||
| I quarter | 9 619 969 | 9 167 300 | 6 981 361 | 2 185 939 | 452 669 | 4,7 | 3,1 | 4 533 817 |
| II quarter | 9 641 367 | 9 190 346 | 6 971 030 | 2 219 316 | 451 021 | 4,7 | 3,2 | 4 513 294 |
| III quarter | 9 682 380 | 9 233 828 | 7 020 149 | 2 213 679 | 448 552 | 4,6 | 3,1 | 4 479 152 |
| IV quarter | 9 645 294 | 9 197 046 | 7 047 824 | 2 149 222 | 448 248 | 4,6 | 3,3 | 4 503 453 |
| 2025 | ||||||||
| I quarter | 9 735 019 | 9 283 504 | 7 140 979 | 2 142 525 | 451 515 | 4,6 | 3,1 | 4 669 631 |
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 (3,4% 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).
