The labor market reflects current economic and social trends. In times of instability and change, the ability to adapt quickly is crucial. Analysts from HeadHunter Kazakhstan reviewed key indicators of Kazakhstan's labor market for 2024: employer activity, salary dynamics, job seeker activity, and competition levels, according to a correspondent from the Kapital.kz business information center citing company data.
Employer Activity
In 2024, approximately 650,000 active job vacancies were posted on the hh.kz platform, representing a 16% increase from the previous year. The highest employer activity was observed from August to October, aligning with seasonal trends of prior years. A typical decline in activity occurred during the winter months, from December to January.
7 8 Cities with the Most Job Vacancies
- Almaty : 45% of total vacancies (+13% from last year)
- Astana : 24% of total vacancies (+19% from last year)
Shymkent showed the most significant growth at 25%, which may indicate the development of infrastructure and an increase in business activity. Ust-Kamenogorsk and Pavlodar also experienced growth at 22% and 17% respectively, indicating enhanced economic activity in these regions.
Active Vacancies by Professional Fields
9 Sales and customer service account for the largest share in both 2024 and 2023, maintaining their leading position in the labor market. This reflects a stable demand for these professions. Marketing, advertising, PR, and finance and accounting also hold significant shares, highlighting the importance of these areas in modern businesses. The automotive industry saw a substantial decrease in its share from 6.1% in 2023 to 4.7% in 2024, which may indicate a decline in demand in this sector. Tourism, hospitality, restaurants, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals demonstrated an increase in vacancy shares, potentially related to the recovery of these industries post-pandemic. Raw materials extraction has increased its share, likely due to rising resource needs and the activation of this sector. Information technology maintains a stable share, confirming ongoing demand for IT specialists. Some fields, such as insurance, remain on the periphery with small shares, indicating less active development in these sectors.
Salaries
The median offered salary in Kazakhstan for 2024 is 297,000 tenge, which is 17% higher than last year. The median salary is a more objective measure than the average wage, as it reflects the level of pay that half of the workers receive.
0 Cities with the Highest Median Salary
- Astana : 321,000 tenge;
- Almaty : 316,000 tenge;
- Karaganda : 266,000 tenge.
Offered Median Salary by Professional Fields
1 Senior and middle management continue to receive the highest median salaries, reflecting their key role in business. A growth of 10% indicates a stable increase in compensation in this category. Strategy, investment, and consulting saw a significant increase of 21%, likely due to heightened demand for these professions amid complex economic and investment scenarios. The automotive business and construction, real estate also showed considerable salary growth (18% and 20% respectively), indicating a recovery and growth in these sectors. Information technology remains one of the highest-paying fields with a 14% increase, aligning with the global trend towards digitalization and automation. Procurement and human resources management, training have more modest increases of 10% and 9% respectively, suggesting a stabilization of salaries in these areas after a period of active growth. Arts, entertainment, mass media, and raw materials extraction showed a 20% increase, indicating a significant rise in demand and possibly a shortage of specialists in these fields. Insurance has a minimal increase of 1%, which may suggest stagnation or saturation in the labor market in this area.
Overall, the increase in median salaries across most professional fields reflects positive general economic trends and rising competition for skilled personnel.
Job Seeker Activity
In 2024, the number of active resumes on hh.kz reached approximately 5 million, a 37% increase from the previous year. The highest activity among job seekers was observed in the summer and autumn months, peaking from July to September.
2 Cities with the Most Resumes
The highest number of active job seekers is found in Almaty (46%) and Astana (24%), highlighting their status as the main economic and business centers of Kazakhstan.
Shymkent leads in growth of active resumes with 47%, indicating dynamic regional development and increased interest in employment in this city. Karaganda and Ust-Kamenogorsk also demonstrated significant growth (42% and 36% respectively), reflecting increased economic activity and employment in these cities. Atyrau with a 23% increase and Uralsk with 26% show moderate but stable growth, possibly linked to the development of the oil and gas industry and other manufacturing sectors.
Most Active Professional Fields by Number of Active Resumes
3 In 2024, the leading professional fields are “ Other *” and “ Sales, Customer Service ”, each accounting for 10.1% of total vacancies. A significant growth was noted in the “ Manual Labor ” field (6.7% in 2024 compared to 5.5% in 2023), indicating increased demand for specialists in this area. “ Transportation, Logistics, Freight ” increased from 4.2% to 5.1%, which also signifies a rising interest in this industry. A reduction in vacancy shares is observed in “ Manufacturing, Service ” (from 5.0% to 4.4%) and “ Administrative Staff ” (from 5.2% to 4.7%), indicating a potential decline in demand for these categories. The professional field “ Automotive Business ” increased by 0.6 percentage points, which may indicate a recovery in this sector.
Competition Situation in the Labor Market
The competition index in 2024 was 7.6 , meaning that, on average, seven people compete for one vacancy. Over the year, competition increased by 19% , indicating a rise in the number of job seekers compared to available vacancies.
June, July, and December are the months with the highest competition. This may be linked to seasonal factors, such as graduations in educational institutions during the summer and economic slowdowns at the end of the year. February is the month with the least competition, potentially due to the beginning of the business season after the winter holidays, when employers actively open new vacancies.
4 Competition by Professional Fields
- High Level of Competition (8.0–11.9) :
- Security — index 23.1 , growth of 40% . This is the most competitive area, possibly due to the limited number of vacancies and a high number of candidates vying for these positions.
- Other* — index 22.6