Kazakhstan: Layoffs Loom for Public Sector Workers

Thousands of Kazakh public sector workers are facing the possibility of losing their jobs, the prime minister has warned.

"The government is considering a mass lay-off of public employees. In other words, we will cancel all vacant positions and will lay-off some people," the Kazakhstan Today news agency quoted Karim Masimov as saying on June 22.

A moratorium on hiring civil servants has been in place since April. Ongoing budgetary pressure means that the hiring freeze is unlikely to be lifted soon, Masimov said. "I don't think we've been tough enough [with the civil service]," he added.