Kazakhstan's Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has updated the rules for organizing subsidized jobs. Now, key stages—from employer applications to directing citizens to vacancies and document verification—are carried out through the Electronic Labor Exchange, reports infohub.kz.
As before, subsidized jobs are organized by career centers based on employer applications. Eligible participants include commercial companies with private ownership, individual entrepreneurs, peasant and farm enterprises, social entrepreneurs, state institutions and their subordinate organizations, quasi-public sector entities, and non-governmental organizations.
Uniform requirements apply to all employers: the organization must have been operating for more than 12 months, not be in bankruptcy proceedings, comply with legislation on countering extremism, and fulfill previously concluded contracts under employment support measures.
Subsidized jobs will not be created for employers already receiving budget funding through per-capita state order programs, infrastructure government procurement, or special social services. The ministry explained this is necessary to prevent double funding of the same expenses from the budget.
The number of subsidized jobs depends on the employer category. For non-governmental organizations in cities of republican significance, one to ten participants are provided; in regions, one to five. NGOs must be registered in the official database of non-governmental organizations.
Commercial organizations, individual entrepreneurs, peasant farms, and social entrepreneurs can create one to five subsidized jobs. They must have no wage arrears, must have made regular social payments over the past year, and must hire participants from previous program periods on a permanent basis.
For state bodies and quasi-public sector entities, one to five jobs are also provided.
A separate procedure is established for rural akimats and municipal enterprises. The number of subsidized jobs will depend on the village population and range from 2% to 5% of the total residents.
Employer selection, directing citizens to jobs, and document verification are now conducted electronically through the Electronic Labor Exchange. The ministry expects digitalization to reduce paper document flow, speed up application processing, and make the process more transparent.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that since the beginning of 2026, nearly 10,000 unemployed Kazakhs over 50 have found work under the 'Silver Age' project. Under the program, the state partially subsidizes participants' salaries, and employers must provide them with permanent jobs after the subsidy period ends.