Women's unemployment in Kazakhstan reaches 5.1% in Q2 2026; one district at 11.7%
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Women's unemployment in Kazakhstan reached 5.1% in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4% for men. In the Munailinsky district of Mangistau region the female rate hit 11.7%, against 0.6% for men, while the national gap remains wider than the global average.
Key Facts
- In the second quarter of 2026, women's unemployment in Kazakhstan reached 5.1%, compared with 4% for men.
- The number of unemployed women was 242,700 in Q2 2026, up 1.6% from a year earlier.
- In Mangistau region, female unemployment reached 8% in 2025, against 2.5% for men.
- In Munailinsky district of Mangistau region, female unemployment hit 11.7% in 2025, compared with 0.6% for men.
- Among women aged 55–64, unemployment reached 8.6%.
National Unemployment Rates
In the second quarter of 2026, women's unemployment in Kazakhstan reached 5.1%, while the male rate was 4%. A year earlier, in 2025, female unemployment stood at 5% and male unemployment at 4.2%. The number of unemployed women was 242,700 in Q2 2026, up 1.6% from a year earlier. In November 2025, female unemployment was 5.5% and male unemployment 4.1% under comparable methodology, a gap of 1.4 percentage points. Kazakhstan's gender gap of 1.4 percentage points exceeds the global average of 0.2 percentage points.
Regional and District Disparities
Female unemployment exceeded male unemployment in 12 of 20 regions, while in four regions male unemployment was higher and in four regions the rates were equal. Mangistau region showed the widest regional gap in 2025, with 8% female unemployment and 2.5% male unemployment. In Munailinsky district of Mangistau region, female unemployment reached 11.7% in 2025, against 0.6% for men. In the Ryskulov district of Zhambyl region the female rate was 7.9% versus 2.3% for men, and in Alga district of Aktobe region 7.8% versus 2.7%.
Age, Education, Job Loss
Unemployment among women aged 55–64 reached 8.6%, the highest of any age group. For women aged 35–44 the rate was 5.8% and for those aged 45–54 it was 4.9%. For women with higher or postgraduate education unemployment was 3.5%, while for those with basic secondary education it reached 15.6%. For women with only a secondary school certificate the rate was 11.4%. Nearly a third of unemployed women, 79,300, lost their previous job after dismissal, and this group grew 65.8% in a year.
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Women's unemployment in Kazakhstan reaches 5.1% in Q2 2026; one district at 11.7%
