Abstract
Digitalization and the growth of informal employment are fundamentally transforming the labor market in postSoviet cities, increasing social polarization and undermining traditional institutions of social protection. The present study considers Almaty as a representative megacity, which focuses on both global trends in the gig economy and local challenges to institutional adaptation. The purpose of the study is to analyze how digital platforms and hybrid forms of employment affect the structure of the urban labor market and the reproduction of social inequality. The theoretical framework includes the concepts of platform capitalism, dual labor market, digital neoliberalism and urban stratification. The research methodology combines bibliographic analysis, interpretation of statistical data (BNS RK, OECD), as well as analysis of institutional documents and cases of labor conflicts. It was revealed that as of the first quarter of 2025, 23.1% of all employed in Kazakhstan (2.2 million people) are self-employed, while the unemployment rate of 4.6% remains sluggish amid the growth of unstable forms of work. Protest activity in the platform sector (Wolt, Yandex Go) indicates an increase in social tension.The results confirm the formation of a class of “digital precariat” of institutionally unprotected workers involved in the digital economy. The practical significance of the research is in the development of recommendations for state policy in the field of regulating platform employment, modernizing social protection and sustainable development of the urban labor market in the context of digital capitalism.