What Higher Foreign Labor Hiring Rates Could Mean for Kazakhstan

Proposed increases in the rates for hiring foreign workers in Kazakhstan could place additional pressure on businesses, which say the changes are ill-timed and contradictory, Orda.kz reports, citing APK Novosti.

According to the report, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection has submitted for approval a draft amendment to the relevant government resolution.

In particular, the proposed rates for seasonal workers would rise to:

• 90 days — from 12 to 21 MCI
• 180 days — from 24 to 42 MCI
• 270 days — from 36 to 63 MCI
• 365 days — from 48 to 84 MCI

One MCI stands at 4,325 tenge in 2026.

The proposal would also raise rates by employee category and introduce additional differentiation by type of activity and region.

According to the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken and market participants cited by the industry publication, the changes would sharply increase the financial burden on agricultural producers. They also warn of a deeper labor shortage during sowing and harvesting campaigns, higher production costs, risks of lower output, and a greater likelihood that some employers could move into the informal sector.

The publication notes that Kazakhstan had previously taken steps in the opposite direction, expanding the list of seasonal workers and increasing quotas to address staff shortages.

Against that backdrop, the proposed rate increase appears untimely and contradictory, the author writes, citing the Grain Union.

Original author: Alexander Smolin

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