Author: Tatyana Gracheva
Serbia and Uzbekistan discuss cooperation in labor and employment
Serbia’s Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, Milica Đurđević Stamenkovski, held a meeting today with the Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Oybek Shakhadinov, to discuss the further development of bilateral relations and new avenues of cooperation in the field of labor and employment. Đurđević Stamenkovski emphasized that Serbia views Uzbekistan as a […]
Read moreKazakhstan set to reevaluate minimum wage in 2027-2028
The Government of Kazakhstan plans to consider the possibility of increasing the minimum wage in 2027–2028, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin, said at a government meeting, Trend reports via the Kazakh government. Zhumangarin indicated that, from 2026 to 2028, real income growth for the population is projected to average a […]
Read moreGeorgia’s labor market: unemployment down but workforce participation also falls
The National Statistics Office (Geostat) reports that Georgia’s unemployment rate declined in the third quarter of 2025, even as fewer people participated in the labor force. The unemployment rate dropped by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year, reaching 13.3%. Despite the improvement in unemployment, overall labor force participation also slipped. In Q3 2025, the share of the […]
Read moreOne document instead of two: the government plans to simplify employment rules for foreigners
Ukraine is planning to introduce a single permit that simultaneously grants the right to live and work in the country. The new draft law should significantly simplify procedures for foreigners and employers. Learn more about the planned changes in the field of employment of foreigners The Ukrainian government has agreed on a draft law to […]
Read moreYoung people choose blue-collar professions, while AI changes labor market and puts office jobs at risk
Kazakhstan’s labor market is undergoing a gradual transformation due to Artificial intelligence. It means that blue-collar professions’ stability and resilience against AI disruption make them increasingly popular with Generation Z, while office and administrative roles encounter higher automation risks.
Employment trends also face a strong AI impact.
As the country’s center for human resource development reports, it is possible to automate approximately 13% of work tasks in Kazakhstan or around one million jobs in the long term. The most vulnerable ones are office support and administrative positions, where AI can potentially perform up to 45% of tasks. Opposingly, such sectors as construction, machine operation, electrical work, and transport are among the least affected. As Inbusiness reported on Nov. 13, automation can affect less than 2% of tasks there.
According to Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, AI typically transforms job functions rather than eliminates them. Due to that, employees can focus on complex creative tasks and enhance productivity.
Blue-collar work becomes popular with generation Z.
Young workers’ preference for skilled trades has become a noticeable trend. The first reason is that they perceive these roles as more secure in the context of automation. The second one is higher returns on vocational training. Meeting steady market demand is the third reason.
This trend is also confirmed by international research. Forbes reports that 37% of Generation Z are already working or planning to work in skilled trades. According to the New York Post, 42% of Generation Z are pursuing blue-collar jobs, including those with a college degree. Low starting salaries in office jobs and the desire to avoid student debt made them do it.
Nevertheless, there is a gradual automation in Kazakhstan.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection reports that wage and cost considerations slow down automation in Kazakhstan in comparison with high-income countries. Finance, telecommunications, transportation, and digital services will be among the most affected sectors. At the same time, such initiatives as the Atlas of New Professions and Competencies, including roles in robotics, digital ethics, and advanced technologies, support new professions.
So, the county takes support measures.
According to Kazakh legislation, employers must notify career centers of planned layoffs at least one month in advance. If automation affects workers, they receive state support in form of vocational retraining, employment promotion programs, and social benefits. As the ministry underlines, the government is committed to promote proactive employment policies. They hope that flexible learning, career guidance, and individualized retraining will help citizens adapt to new realities of the labour market.
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Read moreIncreasing the minimum wage: disastrous for many companies, insufficient for workers
The extraordinary increase in the minimum wage at the end of September made the workers happy, but it gave many employers a headache. Some companies even cited it as one of the reasons for closing. Small businesses and those at the beginning of their business have an additional problem Minimum labor cost in Serbia, it […]
Read moreAI 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 […]
Read moreGeorgia extends tax exemption for cash register use at markets until 2028
Legislative amendments prepared by the government and presented to the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee by Deputy Finance Minister Mamuka Baratashvili revealed that the Government of Georgia plans to extend the tax exemption for the use of cash registers at markets until January 1, 2028. This will be the third extension of this obligation. Under […]
Read moreWorking hours in Kazakhstan are longer than in America, but salaries are lower
The World’s Hardest Working Countries 2025 report by Visual Capitalist shows that Kazakhstan is among the countries with the longest working weeks (38 hours on average).
In the USA an average working week is 36 hours, in Canada – 32, in the UK – 31 and in the Netherlands just 26.8 hours.
Turkmenistan has an average working week of 41.9 hours, then follows Tajikistan with 41 hours. The third place belongs to Uzbekistan, where people work an average of 40.4 hours, the fourth is Kyrgyzstan with 35.2 hours.
The shortest working weeks in the world are in the Netherlands (26.8 hours), Norway (27.1) and Austria (28.4) thanks to developed economies and strong labor productivity
The longest working week is in Bhutan (more than 54 hours).
Though the standard workweek in Kazakhstan is 40 hours, there are suggestions of a four-day workweek.
Spain, Japan, Belgium, Poland and several other countries have already tested this approach after the COVID-19 pandemic, and results were positive.
Some Kazakhstani businesses discussed adopting this model in 2023, but it has not been implemented yet.
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Read moreThe main cause of sale price hikes in the construction sector is personnel shortages
According to Beso Ortoidze, CEO of the development company «Arsi», the value of real estate and sale prices rise each day due to the personnel shortages.
As a study by the Business Association Index shows, the greatest sales price growth is expected in the construction sector. BAG index demonstrates that 21% of the surveyed companies have already raised their sales prices in the third quarter of 2025. 32% are expected to do this in the fourth quarter.
The problem is that, despite different opinions in the sector, the situation today is politically stable for ones and unstable for others. Detention impacts investors and the economic situation in the country negatively.
A growing trend for building materials and rising wages makes the real estate prices grow naturally.
To tell honestly, the price growth happened in 2023, when it was 30-35% per year, and for two years it was about 60%. It was not a sharp growth. The rise of real estate prices this year was 6-7%. Prices have stabilized for the second year in a row.
The global problems began in 2019. In 2019 an annual growth was 10%, but in 2022-2023, the increase of prices accelerated, setting a new benchmark. Before that, the price of one square meter was 800-900 dollars, now it is $1 500 on average.
Now, the market is set to accept this price. There are expectations that it is a temporary situation, and it would decrease, but experts believe that the price would remain. The main target now is not to let prices rise sharply in the next 2-3 years.
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