What is the state of our labor market, and what kind of assistance in terms of information and social support is being provided to the population of Kazakhstan today, the Caravan.kz correspondent tried to figure out.

EVERYTHING IS QUIET AT THE LABOR MARKET.

If we talk about the state of the market in Kazakhstan, the situation, according to statistics, turns out to be quite good. Thus, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, in May 2023, 94.9 thousand vacancies and 74.5 thousand resumes were posted on the Electronic Labor Exchange (ELE). In comparison with April, the number of vacancies increased by 10.5% (+9 thousand), and resumes – by 0.9% (+628).

 In total, the shortage of labor resources at the ELE in the reporting month amounted to 20.4 thousand units, or 22% of the total number of vacant positions placed. At the same time, due to the geographical location of the regions, the surplus of the staff, as in the previous month, on the southern regions, namely Shymkent (where the number of resumes exceeded the number of vacancies by 2.4 thousand, or 78%) and the Turkestan region (by 5.1 thousand, or 76%). The most favorable climate for employment turned out to be in May in the Karaganda region, where the number of vacancies exceeded the resume by 5.6 thousand units and in the Ulytau region, in which the number of vacancies exceeded the number of applications by 646 units.

 As for the most popular specialties, car drivers (1.9 thousand vacancies and 1.5 thousand resumes), security guards (1.6 thousand vacancies and 889 resumes) and educators (1.5 thousand vacancies and 810 resumes) remain in deficit in the labor market. Compared to April, there is also an increase in demand for medical professions (1.6 thousand vacancies and 1 thousand resumes) and contact center operators (1.9 thousand vacancies and 11 resumes). And, of course, young people aged 16-35 traditionally remain the most active group in job search.

 As the figures show, there are enough vacancies offered in the domestic labor market in order not to be afraid of an increase in the number of unemployed Kazakhstanis.

LABOR MOBILITY CENTERS WILL HELP KAZAKHSTANIS

 According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the RK, Labor Mobility Centers will start operating in Kazakhstan from July 1, 2023. In total, 20 centers will be created in regional centers and megacities, and the existing employment centers will be transformed into career centers. This became possible within the framework of the implementation of the Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 Specifically, the labor mobility centers will be engaged in:

 - ensuring the balance of the region's labor resources based on the analysis, forecast of labor supply and demand;

- development of regional employment maps and coordination of their implementation on site;

- implementation of active employment measures and monitoring of job creation within the framework of all state programs and private initiatives implemented in the region;

- assistance in voluntary migration of citizens in order to ensure employment and coordination at the regional level of resettlement programs of citizens;

- registration of persons who applied as job seekers and unemployed;

- informing the population, local executive bodies and the authorized state body about the state of the regional labor market.

"The new centers will actively involve all labor market institutions operating in the region in the implementation of these functions. To do this, they are granted the right to outsource certain functions related to the employment of target groups of citizens.

 Thus, career centers will become branches of labor mobility centers in cities and districts. The main task of the new centers will be the implementation of a regional employment policy taking into account local specifics in conjunction with the indicators of the national labor market," said Askar Niyazov, Director of the Employment Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the RK.

 Also according to the Ministry of Labor: "The entire range of services currently provided to promote employment, voluntary resettlement, and the formation of case layouts for the purpose of targeted social assistance will be preserved, and their provision will continue in career centers which will be located at the same addresses."

- "Digital employment centers are a cardinal transformation of relations between employment agencies and their clients – job seekers and employers, changing business processes of providing services, transferring them to an online format," pointed Askar Niyazov.

 It is obvious that any digitalization and launch of online services in any industry will minimize the physical contacts of the population with employment agencies and increase the availability of services. According to the Ministry of Labor, today more than 77% of citizens who apply for employment services use the online format through the Electronic Labor Exchange. This can be considered a special achievement, in comparison with many other countries.

 And as part of the implementation of the project on labor mobility centers, the specialists of the MLSPP held training seminars for the staff of the employment centers throughout the republic from June 12 to 14 this year.

THE MINISTRY OF LABOR COMPENSATES THE LOSS OF WORK

 According to official data, as of June 1, 2023, the number of recipients of unemployment social benefits from the State Social Insurance Fund amounted to 94.4 thousand people, while 81.7 thousand citizens were paid this year.

 In accordance with the current legislation, dismissed employees receive unemployment social benefits from 1 to 6 months, depending on the length of participation in the compulsory social insurance system and income for the last 24 months. The payment is made by the SSIF in the amount of up to 45% of the lost income.

 To assign a benefit to a dismissed employee, it is necessary to:

- log in to the eGov.kz portal;

- select the service "Registration of job seekers" in the section "Employment and Occupancy";

- order the service online by filling in all the fields, and send an application by signing with Electronic Digital Signature;

- within one day, the career center (hereinafter referred to as CC) according to the applicant's place of residence will offer vacancies;

- if a job is not found, the status of unemployed will be assigned remotely within 3 working days (if necessary, an employee of the CC will contact the applicant to collect additional information).

This online service can also be obtained through the Electronic Labor Exchange (enbek.kz ).

 If there is information about registration as an unemployed person, the information system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population (MLSPP) will send an SMS message to the mobile phone for consent to the provision of services for the purpose of payment from the SSIF in a proactive format. If you agree, you must reply to the SMS message. The payment will be assigned automatically.

 Important to know for unemployed citizens that unemployment social benefit from the SSIF is carried out regardless the reasons for dismissal and is intended to support an unemployed person during the period when he is looking for a job.

 Based on the abovementioned facts and statistics, it can be clearly seen that the Government of the Republic creates and comprehensively supports all projects and innovations aimed at improving a comfortable and prosperous environment for employment of the population.  

Source: Internet resource https://www.caravan.kz/news/v-kazakhstane-postoyanno-sozdayutsya-novye-instrumenty-dlya-professionalnojj-orientacii-i-trudoustrojjstva-naseleniya-941835/