AI Reshapes Labor Market: Office Jobs at Risk, Blue-Collar Professions Gain Appeal Among Youth
Artificial intelligence is gradually transforming Kazakhstan’s labor market. While office and administrative roles face higher automation risks, blue-collar professions are increasingly attractive to Generation Z for their stability and resilience against AI disruption.
AI impact and employment trends
According to the country’s center for human resource development, approximately 13% of work tasks in Kazakhstan or around one million jobs, could be automated in the long term. Office support and administrative positions are the most vulnerable, with up to 45% of tasks potentially performed by AI. In contrast, sectors such as construction, machine operation, electrical work, and transport are largely unaffected, with automation affecting less than 2% of tasks, reported Inbusiness on Nov. 13.
Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection emphasized that AI typically transforms job functions rather than eliminates them, allowing employees to focus on complex and creative tasks, thereby enhancing productivity.
Generation Z shifts to blue-collar work
A noticeable trend among young workers is the preference for skilled trades. These roles are perceived as more secure in the context of automation, provide higher returns on vocational training, and meet steady market demand.
International research also confirms this trend. According to Forbes, 37% of Generation Z are already working or planning to work in skilled trades. The New York Post reports that 42% of Generation Z are pursuing blue-collar jobs, including those with a college degree, due to low starting salaries in office jobs and the desire to avoid student debt.
Gradual automation in Kazakhstan
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, automation in Kazakhstan will advance more slowly than in high-income countries due to wage and cost considerations. The most affected sectors will include finance, telecommunications, transportation, and digital services. Simultaneously, new professions continue to emerge, supported by initiatives such as the Atlas of New Professions and Competencies, including roles in robotics, digital ethics, and advanced technologies.
State support measures
Kazakh legislation requires employers to notify career centers of planned layoffs at least one month in advance. Workers affected by automation receive state support through vocational retraining, employment promotion programs, and social benefits. The ministry underlines the government’s commitment to proactive employment policies that enable citizens to adapt through flexible learning, career guidance, and individualized retraining.
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