Kazakhstanis Can’t Resist Desire to Work Remotely

Remote work is becoming more and more attractive for Kazakhstanis. The number of people who would prefer to work remotely rose 4.5 times over the first half of the year even though the real growth was by just 2%.

According to Rakhima Makhmudova from HeadHunter Kazakhstan, over the period from January to June, there were 44% more remote job ads than in the first half of 2020. And this rate is much higher if compared to 2019 (+137%).

As of September 14, there were 891 job adverts in the section ‘Remote Jobs’ on the Headhunter website. Many of them require good knowledge of IT. Most commonly companies want call interviewers, designers, call-takers, tutors, social media managers and sales managers. Rarely they search for football match analytics, fitness ambassadors, and Tik Tok experts. On average, a remote worker can make about $500 per month; the highest salary is about $2,350, according to the adverts.

«More and more people show their interest in work on distance. During the first half of the year, there were 4.5 times more remote job applicants compared to 2020 and seven times more than in 2019,» Makhmudova told the Kursiv edition.

However, there are no significant changes in the workforce, according to the official statistics. The current number of remote workers is 75,100 people which is just 2% higher than the figure reported over April to June (73,700).

Even though the epidemiological situation is not perfect yet, the labor market has been growing in Kazakhstan. It’s risen by 46% if compared to the pre-pandemic year. Due to many restrictions during the quarantine, areas where remote work fits very well, such as sales, IT, telecommunications, production industry and agriculture, have thrived. Also, companies actively hire administrative personnel, accountants and finance experts.

Since July 2021 the number of remote workers has been reflected in reports of Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics. So far, about 1% of the population work from home in the country, according to the government’s data. Experts believe this figure might be much higher though because many workers now can enjoy flextime while doing their regular job and this data is not reflected in any reports.