The article considers the problem of estimating the communication of foreign direct investment, net exports and economic growth. As an example, the Republic of Kazakhstan is taken. Based on the method of calculation of the gross domestic product (GDP) expenditure and using the method of regression analysis, the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) and net exports to GDP and interaction of FDI and net exports as components of GDP are evaluated. Keywords: investment, FDI, GDP, net exports, economic growth, correlation and regression analysis. JEL Classification: А10, C20, C35, E22, F37, F43

The unprecedented growth of e-commerce worldwide, along with the expansion of global e-commerce companies to developing countries, including Kazakhstan, requires the improvement of modern state policy in the field of promoting the development of e-commerce in the country. In this aspect, the analytical support of such a policy seems relevant, which would reflect the analysis of supply and demand in the market with the identification of trends in its development, the analysis of consumer preferences and habits, and the identification of regional differences in the practice of e-commerce development. The purpose of the article is to identify trends in the development of the e-commerce market in the retail sales segment based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the e-commerce market in the context of its suppliers, intermediaries and consumers. The research methodology involves the application of a systematic approach to the study of trends in the development of the e-commerce market using the methods of generalization, systematization, comparison, statistical and structural analysis. The significance of the results of the study lies in the priority development of the e-commerce market in Kazakhstan, where it is called the driver of the country's economic growth, in accordance with the provisions of the "Roadmap for the development of e-commerce in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2025" implemented under the state program "Digital Kazakhstan". This research has been funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant “Formation of institutional environment of electronic commerce market in Kazakhstan, its evaluation and development mechanism” No. AP14871419).

The state of the labor sphere depends on many factors: the introduction of new technologies, demographic trends, the aggravation of international competition, the strengthening of the influence of globalization, but the coronavirus pandemic has had the greatest impact in recent years. The study aims to analyze the patterns of labor market development in Kazakhstan in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and assess its impact on the state and structure of the market. To achieve the goal, the methods of analysis and synthesis within the framework of a structural and functional approach were used in the work. This article presents the characteristics of the Kazakhstan labor market in the period before and after the introduction of quarantine restrictions. The positive and negative consequences of the pandemic and its impact on the labor market have been identified, including an increase in unemployment, a decrease in employment, gender and sectoral transformation of the labor market and a slowdown in external and internal labor migration flows. The industries most and least affected by the pandemic are highlighted. In particular, the sector of so-called “contact” services suffered the most, which, as a rule, is characterized by high labor intensity, relatively low wages, as well as an increased share of informal employment and self-employment. It is emphasized that the most important direction in the transformation of the domestic labor market will be its flexibility. The results obtained in the course of the study allow us to formulate proposals for improving the state policy of development and regulation of the labor market.

A comparative assessment of business-to-company (B2C) e-commerce development in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries is difficult to conduct due to the incommensurability of their economies and the lack of homogeneous data. To solve this problem, a composite index combining various sub-indices and indicators was created. The presented article discusses the creation of tools for assessing the B2C e-commerce development in the EAEU countries. The initial research data was gathered from reports of the International Telecommunication Union, UNESCO, the Universal Postal Union, the World Bank, as well as from official data of national statistical agencies and central (national) banks of the EAEU countries. The composite index was constructed by normalising the values of the indicators (method of normative ideals) for their comparison. Further, data values underwent a linear transformation to a 0 — 100 scale in order to ensure their proportionality. Weighting coefficients of the indicators were determined by the method of expert evaluations. Based on the developed index, countries may be ranked by the overall index, as well as by structural factors of B2C e-commerce readiness and use intensity. The use of the e-commerce development potential was analysed based on the values of individual sub-indices. In addition, the proposed toolkit can be applied to monitor changes in the EAEU indices over time, provided that the normalised values of the indicators are maintained. Policy makers can use the research results for improving the conditions for the e-commerce development in the EAEU member-states, as well as for creating a common space of e-commerce that contributes to the strengthening of economic integration. Moreover, the article contains methodological recommendations that can be utilised to create similar assessment tools for other regional economic blocs. The limitations of the study are related to the need to consider the regional specificity of the analysed countries or regions.

The purpose of the work is to develop a methodology for assessing readiness for e-commerce in the B2C sector, which allows for assessing the conditions and factors for the development of e-commerce in the context of the regions of Kazakhstan. The research methodology is based on the use of methods for compiling a composite index, expert assessments, aggregation and normalization of data. The information base of the study was the reports of the International Telecommunication Union, UNESCO, the Universal Postal Union, and the World Bank, as well as official data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms and the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The testing of the methodology was carried out on the example of the regions of Kazakhstan, which made it possible to rank the regions of Kazakhstan in terms of readiness for B2C e-commerce. The estimates obtained allow us to compare the aggregated indicators and its composite indicators for the regions of Kazakhstan by years and to identify areas of regions lagging behind the average national values for certain indicators of readiness for B2C e-commerce. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the development of a methodology for inter-regional comparative analysis of the level of infrastructure readiness for e-commerce. Individual conclusions of the study can also be the basis for setting new research tasks. The practical applicability of the research results is characterized by the possibility of using the developed assessment tools in the work of the relevant specialized government bodies in the process of compiling program documents for the development of e-commerce in the regions of Kazakhstan.