Some 10,300 Kazakhstanis of pre-retirement age found jobs over the first nine months of 2026 in which the state covers part of their salary. The program, called "Silver Age," has operated in Kazakhstan since 2022 and lets companies share the cost of employees aged 50 and older with the state budget, infohub.kz reports.

According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 10,300 people took part in the program during the period. Residents of Turkestan Region found work through it most often — 1,678 people — followed by participants from Karaganda Region (1,093), Aktobe Region (807) and Zhambyl Region (705).

Notably, women outnumber men among those employed under "Silver Age," accounting for 54.7% of all participants. By education level, 78% of participants have secondary education, 18% have secondary technical education and 4% have higher education.

Most of those employed work in agriculture (41%), services (23%) and education (7%). Among the most sought-after occupations are livestock worker, orderly, cashier, salesperson, security guard, cook, seamstress, administrator, driver and accountant.

Unemployed citizens over 50 can take part in the "Silver Age" program by contacting the career center at their place of residence. The state partially pays such workers' salaries for three years: 70% of the salary in the first year, but no more than 30 monthly calculation indices (MCI), or up to 129,750 tenge in 2026; 65% of the salary in the second year, but no more than 30 MCI; and 60% of the salary in the third year, but no more than 30 MCI.

The program's terms also bar employers from dismissing a person immediately after the subsidized period ends: the company is obliged to keep the worker on staff. If more than a year remains before retirement age, the employment contract must be retained for at least a year. For workers aged 58 and older, this obligation applies until they retire.

The program therefore provides not only temporary employment with state support but also the preservation of the job after the subsidy period ends.