Kazakhstan: Education, Personnel and Labor Market
The Kazakh unemployment rate has decreased currently to 7%. The job market is characterized by further unemployment rate decreases and growth in salaries.
»The inflation level in 2008 will be 7.9%«, states the Head of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Saydenov. According to the statistics agency, the inflation level in January - July 2008 was 6.6%, which is 1.1% more than at the same period of the last year (5.5%). The average nominal monthly wage amounts to 56,686 KZT (476 USD).
It is necessary to emphasize that in real figures salaries grew by almost by 20% while the labor productivity during the same period amounted to 9.2%, which is one of the factors influencing the price growth.
Statutory working hours in Kazakhstan are 40 hours per week. A break is at least 30 minutes and should be between 3 and 4 hours after the start of working day. Annual leave consists of 24 calendar days and is given to the employee according to the labor contract, collective contract, and annual leave schedule, which is affirmed by the employer who also takes the employee’s opinion into account. Maternity leave lasts up to 70 calendar days starting before the birth of the child and 56 calendar days after birth. The mother can take annual paid leave for one year.
The educational system in Kazakhstan consists of 11 years of school education; after school there is 4 years of university where students obtain a bachelor degree. Then they need to study for two more years to obtain a masters degree and become a masters of arts. By studying further in local/foreign universities PhD level can be reached. It is also possible to go to college after the 9th grade of school which takes 3 years and enables students to enter the 2nd year of university.
