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Real Changes in Kazakh Labor Market that AI causes
As Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek predicted at a government meeting on Jan. 6, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will raise productivity for approximately 70% of Kazakhstan’s workforce and transform up to 53% of job functions. According to experts, AI will mainly redistribute the tasks rather than cause mass job losses and urgent challenges for labor policy and education systems.
Also, Nurbek presented a phased action plan is being developed to modernize higher education. On the first stage, in 2025, Quacquarelli Symonds assessed the role of education in building an AI-based economy.
As the International Labor Organization reports, high levels of generative AI already influences approximately 25% of jobs worldwide. Its share is nearly 35% in advanced economies, and is approaches to 10% in countries with lower digital maturity. Nevertheless, the tendency for changing daily work functions with keeping the same job titles prevails everywhere.
According to labor law expert Gulzira Atabayeva, these changes occur gradually and unevenly.
Also, she mentioned administrative and office roles among the most exposed to automatization.
As international research showed, women more often work on these positions.
EY shows that nearly 60% of global employment is already under moderate or high influence from generative AI. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), up to 28% of professions in OECD countries are at high risk of automation.
In response to this challenge, Kazakhstan the Kazakh government adopted an AI law at the end of 2025. It establishes artificial intelligence as a regulated sector under national legislation. The law will take effect in January 2026 and introduce principles of responsibility and transparency, labeling of AI-generated content and banning manipulative AI systems.
The Ministry of AI and Digital Development has also appeared. It approved the 2024-2029 AI Development Concept. Building an ecosystem that combines infrastructure, data access and human capital is the main focus of the strategy. The national Alem.AI platform, designed to provide developers with access to data and tools, and the AI Qyzmet program, which trains civil servants to work with AI-based solutions, are its key initiatives.
As Kazakhstan’s Center for Labor Resources Development assesses, it is possible to automate 29% of the country’s work functions. Approximately 13% have a direct link with AI applications. It means that employment structure may change for up to 2.2 million people, or nearly a quarter of the workforce, in their in the medium term.
As Nurbek stated, all educational programs starting in 2025 introduced AI -related skills: AI-related courses, AI-focused degree programs and AI upskilling courses.
Also, the Tomorrow School project is being implemented in cooperation with Astana Hub at universities nationwide. There are plans to establish a specialized AI university focused on interdisciplinary training and applied research. It should be integrated into the Alem.AI ecosystem and developed in partnership with foreign universities and technology companies.
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Read morePMCG reports that 12.4% of persons receive a monthly salary up to 600 GEL
996,988 persons were receiving Linka monthly salary in November 2025. It is 0.8% lower than in October 2025 and 1.0% less than in November 2024.
In November 2025, the share of persons receiving a monthly salary up to 600 GEL amounted to 12.4%, which was 0.2 percentage points higher than in October 2025 and 4.0 percentage points less than in November 2024.
In November 2025, 33.2% of persons were receiving a monthly salary of 2,400 GEL or more. It was 1.1 percentage points lower than in October 2025 and 4.5 percentage points more than in November 2024.
2.9% of persons were receiving a monthly salary of 9,600 GEL or more in November 2025. The decrease was 0.3 percentage points compared to October 2025 and 0.5 percentage points compared to November 2024.
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Read moreStudy finds that AI Could increases Kazakh workforce’s productivity
The Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the international analytical agency Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) have carried out a joint study. It showed that AI significantly enhances workforce productivity in Kazakhstan without mass job losses. It means that AI does not threaten employment but augments human labor and improves its efficiency, as
Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek emphasized.
As a result, a phased action plan to modernize Kazakhstan’s higher education system is being developed by the ministry. They will integrate AI-related skills into all educational programs starting in 2025. Nowadays, 95 universities all over the country already have AI disciplines in their curricula.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has already given a directive to establish an Artificial Intelligence University. Specialists in interdisciplinary fields aligned with industry demand will study in the new institution and conduct applied research there. The new University will be included into the Alem.ai ecosystem. It will also collaborate with leading global universities and tech companies.
So, a national goal that Tokayev declared is the transformation of Kazakhstan into a digital nation within three years. The President designated 2026 as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence Development in his New Year’s address.
As Tokayev said, Kazakhstan has a strong foundation, built on progress in digital public services, fintech, and several key economic sectors. The country has already launched two national supercomputers, Alem.Cloud and Al-Farabium. Also, Kazakhstan’s IT service exports attained nearly $1 billion in 2025.
Tokayev stated that the advent of artificial intelligence has divided countries into those that live in the future and those that are left behind. So, Kazakhstan should develop digital technologies and artificial intelligence to be in the first group.
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Read moreGeorgia is going to focus on economic growth and jobs in 2026
According to Georgian Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili, economic growth, job creation, and major infrastructure projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, Anaklia deep-water port, and the energy sector will become Georgia’s priorities in 2026.
As the minister emphasized, the government will focus on reducing poverty and improving citizens’ welfare alongside high economic growth.
The Caspian Post reports that completing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, advancing the Anaklia port construction, and boosting the energy sector will become key projects next year. The goal of all these projects is strengthening the country’s economic and social development.
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Read moreChinese Citizens compose more than a third of migrant workers in Kazakhstan
Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports that more than 35% of all foreign nationals officially working in Kazakhstan are Chinese citizens.
Local executive authorities issued permits to 14,103 foreign citizens in total, as of December 1, 2025.
Particularly, Chinese nationals comprise the largest group of labor migrants (5,604 individuals) and represent over 35% of the total. Then follow citizens of Uzbekistan (2,110 people, about 15%), Turkey (1,036 people, over 7%), and India (943 people, more than 6%). Roughly 35% of the foreign labor force is made up of migrants from other countries.
Totally, they issued 537 permits for foreign labor to managers and their deputies (first category) and 2,244 to heads of structural divisions (second category) in 2025. The third and fourth categories embrace most foreign workers. There are also specialists (3,784 people) and skilled workers (1,271 people). Seasonal work got 2,299 permits were, and corporate transfers accounted for 3,970.
According to the ministry, 1,817 employers in Kazakhstan currently utilize foreign labor. Nevertheless, more than 334,000 Kazakhstani citizens make up about 96% of their total workforce.
Just over 35% of foreign workers (4,993 people) are employed in construction. 2,316 workers, or 16.5%, work in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. 1,235 workers, about 9%, are employed in mining and quarrying, and 1,155 workers, approximately 8%, work in manufacturing.
Also, an annual quota for the employment of foreign workers is set by Kazakhstan for the sake of the domestic labor market. It equaled to 0.2% of the workforce, or 14,800 permits in 2025. Then, regional authorities requested to raise this figure to 16,500 in March.
Later, they increased the quota further to 0.25% or 19,400 permits in August. The reason was that the list of professions eligible for seasonal foreign workers has expanded. After that, they revised the quota down to 16,700 permits, due to updated regional needs.
According to the Times of Central Asia, more than 80,000 Russian citizens got residence permits to work in Kazakhstan between January 2023 and September 2024.
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Read moreMinister Balayeva said that 3.3 million people work in skilled trades in Kazakhstan
Qazinform News Agency covered a closing ceremony, where Deputy Prime Minister and Culture and Information Minister of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva presented the results of Kazakhstan’s Year of Working Professions.
According to her, Year of Working Professions is a strategic direction with long-term goals, but not a one-time effort. The Minister said that 3.3 million people in Kazakhstan work in skilled trades (about 2,000 technical specialties). Also, training systems have been established at colleges and universities to prepare qualified personnel for the real economy, business, digital platforms, and the social sector.
Balayeva mentioned that the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had called for raising the status of honest, creative labor and fostering teamwork in his Address to the Nation.
Farmers (up to 57,000), welders (about 25,000), locksmiths and automotive specialists (16,000) are among the most in-demand professions. Another important data was youth employment. The Minister reported that around 1.2 million young people in Kazakhstan currently work in skilled trades.
Also, more than 113,000 schoolchildren and students attended open-door events held by about 4,000 enterprises nationwide as part of the Year of Working Professions. As Aida Balayeva noted, young people are actively mastering trades offering real career opportunities.
The Minister promised to continue to support working professions. To do that, she is intended to raise their prestige and develop mentorship programs remaining on the state policy agenda.
The main aims of the Year of Working Professions were the support of workers, enhancing their social status, and reformation of vocational education.
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Read moreVučić explained layoffs in the south by a “significant increase in wages”
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, explains the closure of several foreign companies’ plants in the south of Serbia in the last few months by “significant increase in wages”.
At first, 1.250 workers stayed unemployed due to the closure of Benetton and Johnson Electric factories. Then 250 workers lost work when Centaur left Vranje. Moreover, Trendtekst in Bela Palanka and Vranje Solpro fired 50 workers each.
Similarly, the Leonija plant in Malošišt will have been closed by the end of the year, leaving 1.900 workers out of a job.
According to some employers, such as Centaur, one of the reasons for leaving was the increase in the minimum wage in Serbia. It grew extraordinarily in October and now attains 500 euros (58.630 dinars) and will increase even more in January to 550 euros.
According to the latest available data, the average salary in Serbia in September 2005 was 109.147 dinars, with the median net salary of 85.267 dinars. It means that half of workers earned up to the specified amount.
Another reason that the state leadership blamed for the departure of companies was the blockades that marked the year 2025.
According to economist Saša Đogović, an extremely high degree of political crisis, an extremely high degree of corruption in the country and the lack of a stimulating institutional environment are the reasons for the absence of foreign investments.
Nevertheless, on Thursday (December 11), the Italian company Ariston opened a new plant in Niš and by the end of the year it will have employed 175 people.
This company will produce cylinders and other parts for heat pumps.
As Vučić said during the opening of the plant, the people of Nis will earn decent wages due to this factory, but consumption in restaurants and shops in Nis will also increase.
He also added that this is the tenth or eleventh factory opened in Niš during his presidency.
As New economy reports, the state provided 22,2 million euros through subsidies for the Ariston plant laid in July 2024.
The commitment of the investor is to employ at least 300 new workers for an indefinite period by the end of 2027 and to invest at least 75 million euros.
According to the contract signed by Ariston and the Ministry of Justice in 2023, the share of the state subsidy of the cost of the entire investment is 29,6 percent.
It is also stipulated that the salary costs for new employees, in the two-year period after reaching the full employment, foreseen by the project, should be at least 7,2 million euros.
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Read moreProjects and jobs inside Kazakhstan’s 16 special economic zones in 2025
Kazakhstan’s 16 special economic zones (SEZ) with tax incentives, simplified customs procedures and ready industrial sites play a central role in the country’s investment strategy.
The law on special economic and industrial zones adopted in 2019, the Tax Code, Customs Code, and Land Code regulate the SEZ framework. Corporate tax exemptions, property and land tax relief, zero VAT on qualifying goods, simplified hiring procedures, and duty-free customs treatment are included in their benefits.
The production of rolling stock, electronics, armored vehicles, furniture, construction materials, and precision instruments is supported by Astana – New City, active from 2002 to 2027.
Another one is Saryarka, active from 2011 to 2036 in Karagandy, developing metallurgy, machinery, electronics, chemicals, and construction materials.
Pavlodar, running over the same period, is responsible for chemical and metallurgical production.
They established Ontustik in 2005, operating through 2030 in Shymkent, focusing on cotton processing, textiles, chemicals, and high-tech industries. The targets of the National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark in Atyrau, active from 2007 to 2049, are high-tech petrochemical production, hydrocarbon processing, research, and workforce training.
The Caspian Hub, a 19-hectare container terminal developed with Lianyungang Port Group, and the Sarzha maritime terminal at the Kuryk port are included in the Aktau Sea Port, operating from 2003 to 2052.
64 companies are functioning in Khorgos – Eastern Gate, operating from 2011 to 2036.
41 projects worth 234.4 billion tenge (US$454 million) are supported by the Khorgos International Center for Border Cooperation, active from 2017 to 2041.
Chemical production and industrial diversification are in the focus of Jibek Joly, operating from 2012 to 2037 in the Zhambyl Region.
In 2003 they launched the Park of Innovative Technologies in Almaty. Information and communication technologies, electronics, renewable energy, advanced materials, and telecommunications are its targets. IT, electronics, bioengineering, telecommunications, renewable energy, and advanced materials, and supports startups and research commercialization are the specializations of Alatau.
Industrial innovation and research, are integrated by Astana – Technopolis, active from 2017 through 2043, in partnership with Nazarbayev University.
Industrial, administrative, historical, and airport subzones are comprised in Turan (2018–2043) in Turkistan. Projects in polyvinyl chloride production, drip irrigation systems, and agricultural processing take place in its Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation subzone.
The Special State Fund for expansion invested 9.6 billion tenge (US$18.6 million) in Qyzyljar (2019–2044) in Petropavlovsk.
Manufacturing, logistics, agricultural processing, chemicals, light industries, automotive components, and renewable energy are in the focus of Aktobe (2025–2049). Textiles, leather, machinery, electronics, paper, pharmaceuticals, metal production, logistics, and infrastructure construction are supported by Korkyt Ata (2025–2050) in the Kyzylorda Region.
Nevertheless, there are some difficulties. One of them is infrastructure development.
To solve this problem, Kazakhstan is negotiating with financial institutions and preparing legislative amendments to improve SEZ management and investment procedures.
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Read moreSalaries in the Polish labor market for Ukrainians
Updated employment data concerning Ukrainian nationals and their earnings within Poland has been released by the National Bank of Poland (NBP). The report shows that over 90% of Ukrainian citizens who relocated to Poland before 2022 are presently employed. The median net salary for Ukrainians working in Poland is lower than the median monthly income of Polish citizens and equals to approximately PLN 4,500 (₴52,000/$1,228).
Employment stability among refugees has also improved. The proportion of those employed under unstable contracts has decreased from 26% in 2023 to 17% in 2025 due to favorable conditions in the Polish labor market and migrants’ active integration efforts. The number of unemployed refugees in Poland has also decreased from 25% to14% for two years. Nevertheless, unemployment among refugees is still 300% higher than among Polish citizens. However, more and more refugees become self-employed.
Moreover, significantly increased administrative fees for obtaining work permits for foreign nationals, including Ukrainians, have been introduced by Poland as of December 1.
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Read moreDoubling output of existing medium-sized enterprises is Kazakhstan’s aim
A strategy to help existing medium-sized enterprises increase their production capacity two to threefold is being developed by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy, in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It is part of the “Improving the Investment Attractiveness of Medium-Sized Businesses” program, that Deputy Minister of National Economy Yerlan Sagnaev announced at a press conference hosted by the Central Communications Service. He said that companies will receive state-backed support in the form of diagnostic assessments and customized development plans.
As Sagnaev noted, metallurgy, light industry, construction materials, mechanical engineering, and chemicals are the most active sectors. Consequently, the state plans to prioritize them through joint programs with the EBRD.
Aldo, ministry data shows that the share for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan’s GDP is now 39.8%. The sector’s total output increased by 25% in the first half of 2025 and reached $82.6 billion. The rise of employment in the SME segment attained 3.9% (totally 4.4 million people). The highest growth was in trade, industry, construction, transport, and agriculture.
Nevertheless, according to a recent Business Climate rating by the “Atameken” National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, only 10.1% of small businesses are interested in launching new projects, while 35.4% plan to expand. It means modest requests for government support (18.8%). Also, 6.2% of respondents are considering staff cuts or closures.
According to Timur Zharkenov, Deputy Chairman of the Atameken Board, a high tax burden (28.1%), labor shortages (16.2%), and inconsistent support from local authorities for investment initiatives makes medium-sized businesses the most concerned by pressing.
As a result, a decline in orders and a rise in production costs in autumn 2025 demonstrated the urgency of state support and the need to improve operational efficiency of domestic manufacturers.
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