2026.05.1410:22:54UTC+00Kazakhstan Jobless Rate Edges Down to 4.5%

Kazakhstan’s unemployment rate slipped to 4.5% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 4.6% recorded over each of the previous five quarters. The number of unemployed people declined by 7.4 thousand year-on-year to 446.1 thousand, while total employment increased by 360.1 thousand to 9.39 million. Over the period, hired employment grew by 149.5 thousand, whereas the number of self-employed workers decreased by 40.9 thousand. The labor force reached 9.84 million in the quarter. The employment rate rose to 64.1% of the population aged 15 and over, corresponding to 95.5% of the labor force. Youth unemployment (ages 15–34) was 3%, marginally lower than 3.1% in the previous quarter.