Kazakhstan Decreases Foreign Worker Quota for 2024
Kazakh Minister of Labor Sets Quota for Foreign Workers in 2024
The Kazakh Minister of Labor has announced the quota for attracting foreign workers for labor activities in Kazakhstan in 2024. The order, effective from Jan. 14, delineates the following quotas as a percentage of the workforce: 0.23% for permits issued by the local executive body to the employer, and 3.1% for attracting labor immigrants. This represents a slight reduction compared to 2023, where the total quota was 0.24% of the labor force.
In 2023, the total quota for attracting labor immigrants for household work was 3.2% relative to the labor force, amounting to 296,700 people. As of Oct. 1, 2023, 14,534 foreign citizens were employed in Kazakhstan with permits from local executive bodies. These workers were engaged by 1,529 Kazakh employers, who, in addition, employed over 471,700 Kazakh citizens, representing 96.9% of the total workforce.
The highest concentration of foreign workers in 2023 was observed in specific sectors, with 34.5% engaged in construction, 11.5% in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, 9.6% in mining and quarrying, 8.3% in the manufacturing industry, and 6.3% in professional, scientific, and technical activities.
The new quota for foreign workers in 2024 will have implications for labor immigration and the workforce composition in various sectors of the Kazakh economy. These measures aim to effectively manage the employment of foreign workers while also prioritizing the employment of local citizens.
