According to the latest data, Kazakhstan has 444,600 unemployed citizens. However, this figure does not include nearly 4.8 million people, including homemakers and students. Details are reported by infohub.kz.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, in the second quarter of 2026, there were about 444,600 unemployed people in the republic. The overall unemployment rate was 4.5% – the same as in the previous quarter.
Recall that in Kazakhstan, unemployment is determined by the methodology of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as the share of the labour force aged 15 and older who did not have a gainful occupation, were actively seeking work, and were ready to start work in the near future.
In total, the country has over 9.8 million people in the labour force. Of these, nearly 7.3 million were employees, and over 2.1 million were individual entrepreneurs, self-employed, and others working without an employment contract.
At the same time, nearly 4.8 million people over 15 years old were not included in the unemployment statistics. This group includes pensioners, students, homemakers, and some other categories of the population.
The highest unemployment rate in Kazakhstan was recorded in the Mangystau Region – 5%. Next are the Atyrau, Zhambyl, and Pavlodar regions – 4.8% each.
In Astana, the unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2026 was 4.2%, in Almaty – 4.4%, and in Shymkent – 4.6%. The lowest rate was noted in the Karaganda Region and the Ulytau Region – 4% each.
Recall that in Kazakhstan, citizens who have lost their jobs can start receiving social benefits. Compensation can be paid for six months, and you can read about how to apply for it here.
Earlier it was reported that the Ministry of Agriculture plans to increase the amount of the supplement for Kazakhstani citizens performing particularly important, urgent, and complex work.