The press service of the government of Kazakhstan summarized the results of 2024 in the field of social programs, employment, and labor rights protection, reports inbusiness.kz.
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Increase in Social Benefits and Pension Accumulations
One of the significant steps in 2024 was the increase in social benefits, which was related to the indexing of basic and solidarity pensions, as well as state allowances. The amounts of payments have been raised taking into account the projected inflation rate.
By the order of the head of state, starting from 2023, there will be an annual phased increase of the minimum basic pension to 70% of the subsistence minimum over five years, and the maximum to 120%. Thus, from January 1, 2024, the minimum basic pension has been raised from 60% to 65% of the subsistence minimum, amounting to 28,215 tenge, while the maximum has increased from 100% to 105% of the subsistence minimum, totaling 45,578 tenge.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has also continued the implementation of a program aimed at increasing future pension levels for the younger generation. From January 1, 2024, the phased implementation of mandatory pension contributions by employers began, which are deposited into the accounts of over 4.3 million working citizens.
Particular attention in 2024 was given to providing social support to citizens who have worked for a long time under harmful working conditions. A new special social payment was introduced, which has already been assigned to 13,000 individuals since January 1, 2024.
Overall, in 2024, 5.3 trillion tenge was allocated from the republican budget for social payments, which accounted for 22% of the total budget expenditures of the country. These funds were distributed among 4.5 million citizens receiving pensions and allowances, including 2.4 million pensioners and 2.1 million beneficiaries of various social payments. As a result, all social obligations of the state were fulfilled on time and in full.
Employment Assistance and Career Guidance
In the field of employment, the ministry continued to implement measures aimed at reducing unemployment levels and ensuring transparency in the employment process. One of the most important steps was the approval of regional employment maps, which allow for planning the employment of citizens and determining labor market needs. In 2024, it was planned to employ 948,000 Kazakhstanis, of whom more than 845,000 found jobs by early December, accounting for 89% of the annual plan.
The Ministry of Labor implements a comprehensive set of measures to promote employment, among which professional training and retraining of workers play a crucial role. This year, short-term courses were organized for 9,600 unemployed citizens based on the needs of employers. Additionally, over 50,000 people underwent online training on the platform skills.enbek.kz, allowing them to enhance their qualifications and become more competitive in the labor market.
Moreover, programs for wage subsidies are actively being implemented. This includes public works, social jobs, youth internships, and projects like "First Job", "Contract of Generations", and "Silver Age". Within these programs, over 180,000 people were employed in subsidized jobs.
To support entrepreneurship and create new jobs, the "Bastau Business" project has continued, which allows citizens who completed entrepreneurship training to receive grants for starting their microbusinesses. In 2024, this assistance was provided to 8,900 individuals.
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One of the new achievements in the field of employment was the introduction of digital solutions that opened new opportunities for citizens. In particular, the Mansap Compasy platform was launched, which serves as a tool for choosing professions and planning career paths. The platform provides relevant information about in-demand professions, training requirements, opportunities for grants and internships. Importantly, it helps school graduates and students navigate their future and contributes to the reduction of youth unemployment.
To enable students to gain practical skills, a function was launched on the electronic labor exchange to help find places for internships. As a result, students acquire real skills and enhance their competitiveness.
For improving the effectiveness of government investments, quality planning is a critical aspect. To this end, an innovative project navigator has been developed. Currently, 755 investment projects are being monitored in the system, with a plan to create 150,000 jobs. Subsequently, this platform will be used to monitor all projects implemented under government initiatives. Additionally, the ministry is already using an information monitoring system for "quality jobs" across regions and sectors.
A "quality job" is understood as employment with stable work, safe working conditions, opportunities for professional development and career growth, ensuring labor rights and social protection. Last year, Kazakhstan had about 2.27 million such jobs. In the next three years, this figure is planned to increase by 824,000.
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Protection of Labor Rights and Reduction of Workplace Injuries
In 2024, the ministry took significant steps to improve working conditions and protect workers' rights. One of the important achievements was the transfer of labor inspection from local executive bodies to the ministry’s jurisdiction. A state labor inspection committee was created along with its territorial subdivisions. This allowed for the establishment of an independent control vertical for compliance with labor legislation.
Due to the centralization of the legal and personnel service, the number of direct labor inspectors at the level of territorial inspections has increased. This, in turn, will contribute to the protection of workers' rights and interests, ensuring safe working conditions at enterprises across the country, as well as reducing the risks of labor disputes and conflicts.
As a result, the inspection of compliance with workers' labor rights was strengthened, including in cases of wage delays. Thus, in the 11 months of 2024, wage arrears amounting to 4.4 billion tenge were identified at 277 enterprises, and 17,500 workers received their owed wages.
Furthermore, during the inspections, 7,583 violations were identified, including: in the labor sphere – 5,723, in safety and labor protection – 1,793, in employment – 67. Employers were issued 2,998 orders, and 3,359 administrative fines totaling 371 million tenge were imposed. As a result of these measures, the labor rights of over 33,000 workers were protected.
In the 11 months of this year, 1,211 people were injured at enterprises in the republic. The number of fatalities was 178.
One significant step in improving working conditions was the introduction of a digital map of enterprises, which allows for real-time monitoring of working conditions and professional risks at various enterprises. The system for assessing professional risks has become an important tool for reducing workplace injuries. As a result of the measures taken, the level of workplace injuries in Kazakhstan decreased by 2.4% compared to the same period in 2023, indicating positive changes in labor safety.
In 2024, several legislative initiatives aimed at improving working conditions in the platform employment sector were also implemented. In particular, social guarantees for taxi drivers and other workers involved in platform services were developed, significantly improving their social protection.
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Inclusion of People with Disabilities
One of the key priorities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection in 2024 was the improvement of the quality of life for people with disabilities. In March, Kazakhstan presented its first report to the UN on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In 2024, the implementation of the National Plan for Ensuring the Rights and Improving the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities was completed. Launched in 2019, it included 95 activities aimed at improving living conditions for people with special needs, and in 2024, a significant portion of these activities was completed.
As part of the transformation of the social services system, a pilot project "Innovative Factory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids" was launched, through which children from four pilot regions gained access to expensive rehabilitation technical aids. Additionally, over 22,000 facilities in various regions of the country were adapted for individuals with disabilities, significantly improving infrastructure accessibility.
In 2024, a draft Concept of Inclusive Policy was also developed, which will be in effect until 2030. The concept aims to create conditions for moving from a medical-social model of disability to a social-rights protection model.
New approaches to implementing inclusive policies involve adopting a comprehensive set of effective measures aimed at realizing the rights and expanding opportunities for persons with disabilities. Thus, work to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and to create the necessary conditions for their full integration into society will continue under the Inclusive Policy Concept.
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Migration Policy and Support for Resettlers
This year, services for the adaptation and integration of resettlers and kandass into the local community have been scaled up through the FSM Social mobile application. The application