Factors Influencing Youth Unemployment in Kazakhstan

Abstract

A deepening youth unemployment crisis could not only cause problems in terms of intergenerational transmission, but also widens the gap in income inequality, leading to an unequal society. This situation can increase political tension, which leads to unforeseen and undesirable changes in the entire social structure and economic system of a state. Youth opportunities for employment and stable incomes were threatened in the Spring and Summer of 2020 by a new factor - the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic impact of the pandemic is exacerbating the vulnerability of young people, as young people are more likely to be in temporary and part-time employment than older people, and therefore more likely to face a higher risk of losing their jobs and income. This article is focused on testing the influence of economic and demographic factors on the level of youth unemployment in all regions of Kazakhstan. It highlights the main factors and determinants of reducing youth unemployment in the Republic of Kazakhstan using regression analysis to test the extent of their influence.

Keywords: Youth unemployment, Republic of Kazakhstan; labour market; regions of Kazakhstan, youth wing “Zhas Otan”.