Education level impact on career opportunities of men and women in Kazakhstan
https://doi.org/10.46914/1562-2959-2025-1-2-503-515
Abstract
A detailed examination of the labor market trends from 2012 to 2022 in regard to labor force participation, employment, self-employment, and wage increase is presented. Using descriptive statistical techniques and regression, the following critical measures have been researched: hired and self-employment rate, gender gaps, unemployment rate in finding systemic trends, and significant correlations. It implies, finally, that labor force and hired employment keep improving steadily, while self-employment keeps falling due to changes in labor market structural preference. Gender inequality remains obvious with females suffering from their relatively slow labor force growth coupled with a rather moderate improvement of job opportunities. The regression analysis brings out that the year and selfemployment variables have a significant impact on determining wage growth, while hired employment and gender are not too significant. The unemployment rate turns out to be positively correlated with changes in wages, so it is possible that changes in wages have been smoothed over labor market fluctuations. This research also reflects on the possible impact of exogenous factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on employment structures and gender relationships. These findings expose the need for policy interventions on gender disparities, support for entrepreneurship, and equal access to labor market opportunities. This study gives some key recommendations toward sustainable and inclusive economic development through the light it casts on the long-term transformation in labor market conditions.
Keywords
About the Authors
Y. A. KenzhealiKazakhstan
PhD student.
Almaty
A. N. Ainakul
Kazakhstan
PhD, associate professor.
Almaty
K. O. Nurgaliyeva
Kazakhstan
c.e.s., professor.
Almaty
P. Karacsony
Hungary
PhD, professor.
Budapest
References
1. Knight P.T., Yorke M. Employability and good learning in higher education // Teaching in Higher Education. 2003, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 3–16.
2. Tomlinson M. ‘The degree is not enough’: students’ perceptions of the role of higher education credentials for graduate work and employability // British Journal of Sociology of Education. 2008, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 49–61.
3. Cimatti B. Definition, development, assessment of soft skills and their role for the quality of organizations and enterprises // International Journal for Quality Research. 2016, vol. 10, no. 1, p. 97.
4. Suleman F. The employability skills of higher education graduates: insights into conceptual frameworks and methodological options // Higher Education. 2018, vol. 76, pp. 263–278.
5. Czako V. Employment in the energy sector. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.2767/56789 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
6. Bursell M., Bygren M. The making of ethnic segregation in the labor market: Evidence from a field experiment // Working Paper. 2023, no. 13.
7. Kang S.K., DeCelles K.A., Tilcsik A., Jun S. Whitened résumés: Race and self-presentation in the labor market // Administrative Science Quarterly. 2016, vol. 61, no. 3., pp. 469–502.
8. Donald W.E., Ashleigh M.J., Baruch Y. Students’ perceptions of education and employability: Facilitating career transition from higher education into the labor market // Career Development International. 2018, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 513–540.
9. Dilli S., Westerhuis G. How institutions and gender differences in education shape entrepreneurial activity: a cross-national perspective // Small Business Economics. 2018, vol. 51, pp. 371–392.
10. Ahmed R., Hyndman-Rizk N. The higher educationparadox: Towards improving women’s empowerment, agency development and labour force participation in Bangladesh // Gender and Education. 2020, vol. 32, no. 4., pp. 447–465.
11. Farré L., Fawaz Y., González L., Graves J. How the COVID-19 lockdown affected gender inequality in paid and unpaid work in Spain. Social Science Research Network, 2020. URL: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3643198 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
12. Collins C., Landivar L.C., Ruppanner L., Scarborough W.J. COVID-19 and the gender gap in work hours // Gender, Work & Organization, 2021, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 101–112. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12506 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
13. Reichelt M., Makovi K., Sargsyan A. The impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality in the labor market and gender-role attitudes // European Societies. 2021, vol. 23, no. 1., pp. 228–245. URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1823010 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
14. Van Klaveren M., Tijdens K., Hughie-Williams M., Ramos Martín N. E. An overview of women’s work and employment in Kazakhstan. Amsterdam: AIAS Working Paper, 2010. URL: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1845635 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
15. Shakirova S. Gender equality in Kazakhstan and the role of international actors in its institutionalization // Institutionalizing Gender Equality: Historical and Global Perspectives. 2015, pp. 211–225.
16. Dugarova E. Gender, work, and childcare in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia // Social Policy & Administration. 2019, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 385–400.
17. Khairullayeva V., Sarybayev M., Kuzembayeva A., Yermekbayev A., Baikushikova G. Gender Policy in Kazakhstan // Journal of International Women’s Studies. 2022, vol. 24, no. 1, p. 25.
18. Press C.E.S.D. Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment in the Post-Soviet Space: Challenges and Perspectives. 2023.
19. Semenova Y., Lim L., Salpynov Z., Gaipov A., Jakovljevic M. Historical evolution of healthcare systems of post-soviet Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan: A scoping review // Heliyon, 2024.
20. Buribayev Y.A., Khamzina Z.A. Gender equality in employment: The experience of Kazakhstan // International Journal of Discrimination and the Law. 2019, vol. 19, no. 2., pp. 110–124. URL: https://doi.org/10.1177/1358229119846784 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
21. Alpysbayev K., Mukhamadiyeva A., Kanabekova M., Orazgaliyeva A., Elmira B. Gender analysis of the global labour market and comparative analysis of Kazakhstan, 2019–2021 // Applied Econometrics and International Development. 2024, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1–18.
22. Kuanova L., Anessova A. Gender disparities in Kazakhstan’s labor market: Evidence from the quality employment // Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies. 2024, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 95–110. URL: https://doi.org/10.47703/ejebs.v68i3.423 (accessed: 22.02.2025)
Review
For citations:
Kenzheali Y.A., Ainakul A.N., Nurgaliyeva K.O., Karacsony P. Education level impact on career opportunities of men and women in Kazakhstan. Bulletin of "Turan" University. 2025;(2):503-515. https://doi.org/10.46914/1562-2959-2025-1-2-503-515