Experts forecast staffing shortage in industry sector

A serious staffing shortage is predicted in Kazakhstan’s industry sector. Within three years, there may be a shortage of up to 200,000 specialists in this field. According to analysts, at present, the sector enterprises already need to close at least 18,000 vacancies. This is 60 percent more than a year earlier. Experts from the Workforce Development Center believe that the whole problem lies in the uncompetitive salaries, in the “aging of the staff” and the low attractiveness of blue-collar jobs for young people. For example, their share of employment in the manufacturing industry is only 20 percent.

“The personnel shortage exists because of low pay. As of today, there are about 6,000 job listings in the industry sector on the electronic labor exchange and the average salary is about 130,000 tenge. There are engineers whose salary can reach up to one million tenge, but the vacancies of mechanics and technicians are also required, that is, those specialists who studied for two to three years. For these positions the salary is offered at the minimum level of 60,000 tenge. Of course, without increasing salaries, enterprises will continue to experience staffing shortages,” said Alexandra Molchanovskaya, Managing Director of the Workforce Development Center.

Vacancies are not filled, and employers are sounding the alarm. However, more and more bachelors of technical majors go to work in other areas.

“About 40 percent of young people work outside their major. Because they studied for two-three years, and maybe they received a scholarship, but then they see the work conditions, the flexibility in the technical field. In the service sector, they can have flexible hours and a salary several times higher. Of course, they will choose  more comfortable conditions for themselves,” Molchanovskaya added.

In the meantime, the situation is as follows: more than a third of vacancies in the industrial sector are in three regions of the country - Kostanai and Karagandy regions and the city of Almaty, where the highest shortage of personnel is recorded. Meanwhile, employment growth has recently been registered in financial and insurance fields, public administration, healthcare, transport and warehousing.

 

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova and Galiya Khassenkhanova