In the global ranking of unemployment rates for 2024, prepared by ILOSTAT, Kazakhstan placed 104th out of 187 countries with an unemployment rate of 4.8%.
According to analysts from Energyprom.kz, the worst unemployment rates were recorded in Eswatini (34.4%), South Africa (33.2%), and Djibouti (25.9%), while Qatar boasted the lowest rate globally at 0.1%.
In the Eurasia region Kazakhstan ranked third highest for unemployment, ahead of only Tajikistan (11.6%) and Azerbaijan (5.6%). The best performers in the region are Moldova (1.4%), Russia (2.5%), and Kyrgyzstan (3.3%). For context, the global average unemployment rate stood at 5%, with the Europe and Central Asia region slightly higher at 5.5%.
The Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan (BNS) reported that by the end of Q3 2024, the country had 448,600 unemployed individuals – 0.6% fewer than during the same period in 2023. The official unemployment rate was 4.6%, with parity between urban and rural areas.
Family circumstances (100,200 cases), voluntary resignations (95,600 cases), and difficulties in finding employment (92,200 cases) were identified as the primary causes of unemployment.
In terms of job-seeking durations:
- 127,500 individuals searched for less than a month.
- 113,300 sought work for one to three months.
- 124,600 for three to six months.
- 36,800 for six months to a year.
- 46,000 were unemployed for over a year.
A small fraction of the unemployed (332 individuals) had already initiated entrepreneurial ventures or secured employment arrangements.
