ALMATY – More than 1.3 million job vacancies were posted in Kazakhstan in 2025, with demand strongest for healthcare, education and transport workers, reported the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection’s press service on Jan. 29.
Photo credit: Freepik.
According to the ministry, 1.328 million vacancies were published during the year, while job seekers uploaded 1.454 million profiles, meaning labour supply exceeded demand by about 125,800 applicants. Half of all vacancies, or 665,500 positions, were submitted for working-class jobs. Overall, 75% of vacancies (999,000) required skilled labor.
Nurses and medical assistants topped the list of most sought-after professions, with 21,700 openings offering monthly salaries between 143,000 tenge (approximately US$284) and 178,000 tenge (US$327). Kindergarten teachers followed closely with 21,200 vacancies and pay ranging from 139,000 tenge (US$276) to 182,000 tenge (US$361).
Employers also posted 20,000 vacancies for drivers, offering 151,000 tenge (US$298) to 195,000 tenge (US$384), and 19,600 openings for orderlies with salaries between 110,000 tenge (US$217) and 133,000 tenge (US$262). General subject teachers also ranked among the five most in-demand roles, reflecting the education sector’s dominant share of vacancies.
Job seekers target accounting and law
Among job seekers, the most popular profession was accountant, with 25,100 profiles submitted and an average expected salary of 308,000 tenge (US$607). Drivers ranked second with 23,600 profiles and expected wages of around 250,000 tenge (US$493). Kindergarten teachers followed with 22,100 profiles and salary expectations of 199,000 tenge (US$392), while 19,100 applicants sought legal positions with average expectations of 294,000 tenge (US$579).
The highest salaries offered by employers in 2025 were for marine navigators, who could earn between 875,000 tenge (US$1,724) and 900,000 tenge (US$1,773) per month. Deputy site managers in the mining sector were offered 714,000 tenge (US$1,406) or more, while drilling machine operators could expect salaries starting from 700,000 tenge (US$1,379).
Meanwhile, the highest salary expectations among job seekers were recorded for pilots, who listed desired pay of about 1.9 million tenge (US$3,743), followed by deputy service chiefs in the extractive industry at 1.2 million tenge (US$2,364) and ship captains at 1.1 million tenge (US$2,167).
Education, services and healthcare lead demand
Demand for workers was heavily concentrated in socially oriented sectors. Education led with 380,600 vacancies, accounting for 28.7% of all job postings. Other service activities followed with 175,400 vacancies (13.2%), and healthcare ranked third with 117,400 vacancies (8.8%).
Agriculture, manufacturing, public administration, construction, information and communications, trade, and transport also ranked among the top ten sectors by job demand. Together, the three largest sectors generated about half of all vacancies nationwide.
Regional imbalances persist
Employers in Astana posted the most vacancies (118,200), followed by the Turkistan Region (96,700) and Almaty (92,000). However, regional labor supply and demand varied sharply.
North and East Kazakhstan experienced labor shortages. The Pavlodar Region recorded 83,000 vacancies but only 50,000 registered profiles, while North Kazakhstan had 47,300 vacancies versus 26,500 profiles. Similar gaps were seen in East Kazakhstan and the Ulytau Region.
In contrast, South Kazakhstan showed a surplus of job seekers. The Kyzylorda Region had 35,700 vacancies but 92,000 profiles, while the Turkistan Region recorded 184,400 profiles for 96,700 vacancies. Shymkent and the Mangystau Region also showed an oversupply, reflecting higher population growth and a younger workforce.
Seasonal fluctuations in hiring
Both hiring and job-seeking activity showed clear seasonality. After moderate activity in February, the number of profiles dropped to a yearly low in March before rising steadily to a peak of 148,000 in July. Activity then declined toward the end of the year.
Employer demand followed a different pattern, remaining relatively stable in the first half of the year before peaking in August (141,700 vacancies), September (138,400), and October (132,300).
Workforce profile
Women accounted for 55% of all job seekers, with the largest age group being 35-44 years old (26.4%). Applicants aged 45-54 made up 18.5%, while young people aged 16-24 accounted for 17.5%. Smaller shares came from older age groups, and women were more strongly represented among younger applicants than among those nearing retirement age.
