Relationship between work environment and internal migration in Kazakhstan

The topic of internal migration is widely discussed in the current realities of modern Kazakhstan. Various societal and economic issues were discussed through this lens, and many of these topics relate to the current job market and working conditions. Thus, this paper focuses on the relationship between the work environment and internal migration in Kazakhstan by examining current conditions in metropolises such as Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent. The overall hypothesis is that people will seek career development by moving to metropolises, but will struggle through the process of adaptation, specifically in the working environment. The study is qualitative, focusing on extensive, semi-structured interviews. The snowball sampling method was chosen for convenience. The main requirement is for people to currently live and actively work in specified metropolises. 15 interviews were conducted online via Zoom, in either English or Russian languages. The interviews were anonymous and lasted from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. Later interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analysed. Participants were divided into 2 groups, “locals” and “migrants”, depending on where they lived most of their lives. People who moved into their early life were considered “locals.” The results were analysed using “Human Capital Theory” and “Social Identity Theory.” The results showed that migrants indeed travel mostly for economic benefit, but generally do not experience struggle through the process of adaptation to the working environment in metropolises. Instead, the main struggle migrants face is usually financial, as they try to stay in the city where the cost of living is relatively higher than in regions.