EFSD Hosts Labor Market Roundtable at Astana Headquarters

The Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) Research Department has continued its ongoing roundtable series focused on labor market conditions across the region.

On May 20, EFSD experts presented findings from the first two phases of a comprehensive labor market study on Kazakhstan. The research focuses on demographic forecasts for the country through 2040, along with an in-depth analysis of the workforce, including employment structure, the root causes of high unemployment, and the scale of the informal economy.

The discussion brought together officials from key Kazakhstani government agencies and institutions: the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms (ASPR), the National Bank of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, the Economic Research Institute, the Center for Labor Resources Development, the Bureau of National Statistics under the ASPR and representatives of the expert community.

Government and expert participants engaged in a substantive discussion on a range of pressing issues: the scope of informal employment in the economy, the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on job displacement, and structural shifts in the labor market. Following the meeting, roundtable participants expressed a strong interest in attending the upcoming EFSD International Economic Conference and in convening an additional roundtable upon completion of the full study.

This research is being conducted as part of the preparation of EFSD's inaugural Flagship Report, which will examine the labor markets in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The final findings will be presented at the EFSD International Economic Conference in Astana on October 29, 2026.