Kazakhstan is expected to need millions of workers over the next five years. Employers are already searching for tens of thousands of people, signaling broad labor shortages across the economy. The forecast makes recruitment and worker retention a major concern for businesses. Labor-market analysis points to a mismatch between demand and pay. The occupations with the largest shortages are not always the ones offering the highest salaries. This leaves some employers competing for scarce skills without a clear wage advantage. Filling the gap will require stronger recruitment, training and retention to keep experienced workers.