The aim of the study is to assess the level of vulnerability of the economy and social sphere of depressed settlements in the example of the regions of western Kazakhstan (Atyrau, Mangystau and West Kazakhstan). The following research methods were used to visualize the data: bibliographic, tabular, and grouping of data. The initial data for 2009-2020 for the study were taken from statistical data of the Bureau of National Statistics, regional departments of statistics, various electronic resources, etc. According to the results of the analysis, indicators of the development of districts in Mangystau, Atyrau and West Kazakhstan regions were obtained, in which depressed and vulnerable territories were identified. The data obtained indicate that in vulnerable areas of Kazakhstan there is significant interregional inequality in terms of the level and quality of life. A number of social indicators of the level and quality of life of the population have huge interregional gaps. The analysis as a whole makes it possible to positively assess the possibilities of the prospective development of these territories within the framework of the historically developed specialization of the economy in the presence of transport flows between cities and regions. At the same time, to outline ways to further diversify their economies in order to get out of the state of depression and vulnerability. The developed methodology was tested on the example of the regions of Western Kazakhstan, which proves the possibility of its application both by government authorities to identify settlements in need of state support and in further research.

This paper examines to analyze the best world experiences for ensuring gender equality in remuneration and adaptation to the conditions of Kazakhstan. A literature review has shown that types of discrimination directly affect how women are represented in the labor market and explain why their career growth is slower than that of men. In the paper, it was decided to use a quantitative method by a detailed analysis of labor force surveys in countries such as Iceland, Finland, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, Rwanda and Nicaragua for the period from 2010 to 2021. It draws upon the nation’s experience in its transition to a market-based economy and its impact on gender equality in the labor market. It further examines the challenges and opportunities that Kazakhstan has faced in its efforts to reduce gender inequality in the labor market, particularly with respect to wages, access to employment and labor regulations. The paper concludes by suggesting a set of interventions that Kazakhstan can pursue to reduce gender inequality in the labor market further and promote economic growth.

This study examines the relationship between regional accessibility and economic potential in Kazakhstan based on empirical data processing. The study shows that transport infrastructure, measured by the length of roads and railways, is one of the decisive factors affecting regional accessibility. The structure of the study consists of four essential stages: data collection; identification of leading directions; correlation and regression analysis; substantiation of conclusions, and recommendations. The variables used in the comparative analysis are the operational length of railway lines, the length of public roads and the gross regional product. The correlation and regression analysis results revealed significant links between the length of railways and highways and the gross regional product (GRP) of the selected regions. The obtained models for South Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan and Karaganda regions showed high positive relationships based on high values of R-squares. The study results showed that the variables included in these models strongly correlate with the overall regional changes in output and better explain their positive relationships. The study emphasizes the importance of taking into account regional differences in infrastructure development and economic indicators. As a result of the results obtained, conclusions should be drawn, and recommendations should be made policy makers can use that to promote balanced and inclusive regional development by reducing inequality.