In the first quarter of 2026, the number of paid employees in Kazakhstan rose by nearly 150,000 to 7.29 million, according to reports from infohub.kz. The total labor force reached almost 9.5 million, while the number of self-employed fell to 2.1 million and independent workers to 326,600. This shift indicates a growing move into the formal sector, where workers gain access to social guarantees such as health insurance and benefits.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population noted: "The growth of formal employment is one of the most important indicators of economic sustainability. Work under an employment contract provides citizens with the full range of social and labor guarantees, including compulsory social insurance, pension savings, paid leave, temporary disability benefits, and protection of labor rights."
Active employment measures have given an additional boost to the labor market, the ministry said. As of July 1, the state helped 249,599 Kazakh citizens find jobs, of whom about 96,415 obtained permanent positions.
The ministry stressed that further development of the labor market will focus on improving employment quality, creating modern workplaces, developing human capital, and expanding opportunities for formal employment.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan's unemployment rate stood at 4.5%, with about 446,000 unemployed citizens. Data on the prevalence of informal "grey" salaries and the average official wage have also been published.