Abstract
The research hypothesis is based on the assumption that ensuring productive employment of rural residents contributes to the sustainable development of rural areas and to solving problems of physical and economic accessibility of food for broad segments of the population. The purpose is to substantiate the prospects for effective labor activity in rural areas. Methods — the economic-statistical method for collecting and analyzing numerical data, identifying patterns, and forecasting economic processes. Results — trends of declining employment in the agrarian sector of rural settlements were identified; the necessity of improving the quality of life of rural residents through job creation and the introduction of innovative IT tools, expansion of social infrastructure, and alternative forms of employment was demonstrated. The empirical basis consisted of official data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, characterizing the rural population size and the level of labor activity by region and sector. As a result, uneven distribution of the rural population across the regions of Kazakhstan was identified, and the share of workers employed in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries in the total labor resources of agrarian regions was calculated. Conclusions — the republic has opportunities to increase the attractiveness of the rural way of life, prevent migration outflows to cities, and retain qualified personnel with digital skills in rural districts. To this end, efforts of agrarians and scientists should be mobilized to develop recommendations for creating comfortable living conditions in rural areas, expanding agribusiness and non-traditional models of labor relations, increasing rural incomes, and providing personnel support to the agro-industrial complex. Scientific developments can be used to initiate measures to strengthen the labor potential of rural territories and enhance the efficiency of its utilization.