By the end of 2020 unemployment rate in Kazakhstan could increase up to 6.1%, Minister of Labour and Social Security Birzhan Nurymbetov said at a government session on Tuesday, June 2.
In the first quarter of 2020, the number of employed Kazakhstanis was 8.8 million. In March-April, 4.2 million people were temporarily laid off because of the nationwide lockdown, Minister Nurymbetov said. During that time the unemployment rate reached 4.8%.
The weakening of quarantine measures started on April 20, which contributed to a phased resumption of employment. We believe that measures taken by the government to restore the economy, with an emphasis on ensuring employment, will stabilize labour market starting from July this year, he stressed.
Birzhan Nurymbetov noted that measures to promote employment in 2020 will cover 1.2 million people. People are supposed to be employed within the state programmes Yenbek (600,000 citizens), Employment Roadmap (255,000), and others (364,000).