Kazakhstan continues to face labor shortages in healthcare, information technology, engineering, and the creative industries, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
The ministry published a list of the country’s most in-demand professions based on data from state information systems and the Enbek.kz employment portal.
The most acute shortages remain in the medical sector. According to the ministry, there are only around 100 job seekers’ resumes for 469 vacancies for obstetricians and gynecologists. For pediatricians, 448 vacancies were recorded against 139 resumes, while anesthesiologists and intensive care specialists accounted for 300 vacancies and only 75 resumes.
“Shortages are also observed among oncologists, neonatologists, and endocrinologists,” the ministry said.
Demand also remains high for information technology specialists. More than 500 vacancies are currently open for software application developers, while around 355 vacancies are available for graphic designers.
According to the Unified System for Recording Labor Contracts, more than 45,000 employment contracts have been signed since the beginning of 2026 in the country’s most in-demand professions. The largest number of contracts, around 8,000, involved software developers. Obstetricians-gynecologists, pediatricians, and application programmers were also actively recruited.
The ministry acknowledged that Kazakhstan is partially addressing labor shortages by attracting foreign specialists.
“To attract valuable personnel, Kazakhstan operates a simplified employment procedure for foreign specialists,” the ministry said.
According to officials, the list of in-demand professions includes more than 50 occupations and allows highly qualified foreign workers to obtain permanent residence permits in Kazakhstan.
This year, 55 labor contracts have been signed with foreign specialists, primarily in the automation sector.
The ministry said that, overall, the domestic labor market covers demand for most key professions, although shortages in the healthcare sector remain persistent. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kazakhstan’s small and medium-sized businesses are also facing a severe labor shortage.
