§ 4. The labour resource

Labour resource is a part of the population of the country, possessing necessary physical development, knowledge and practical experience for work in the national economy.

Now labour resource of Kazakhstan makes over 9 million persons, i.e. 59,2 % among them the man of 16-63 years, the woman of 16-58 years.

Number of labour resource of northern areas of Kazakhstan exceeds an average index only a little and reaches 50 % in southern areas, where birth rate considerably above.

Formation, rates and an industry level of development are influenced by number of labour resource, their educational level­, sexual, age structure of the population. If in the industry­, including in such branches as metallurgy, building­, prevails man's work in easy and the food-processing industry­, in service sphere, i.e. in branches with smaller expenses of physical strengths, the share of female work prevails.

For normal development of economy it is important to have a sufficient ­ contingent of youth which masters, in comparison with adult population, achievements of science and technology is easier. It is considered ­ that aged people from 25 till 49 years are most able-bodied. It is important to provide the population, especially youth, workplaces.

The people who are working at a factory, in agriculture, building, create cars, devices, build houses, etc., i.e. make material assets. At educators, science, culture, public health services absolutely other results of work. They do not make material assets, however their work is useful and necessary for the society.

The part of the population occupied in the social production, including ­ sphere of services and a personal part-time farm, concerns economically active population.

Urban population. There are two types of the population - city ­ and rural.

The urban population includes inhabitants of cities and settlements of city type. The share weight of urban population is one of the basic exponents of industrialisation of republic­. Fast growth of urban population depends on rates of increase of the industry, expansion of a network of the railways, increase ­ in extraction and processing of minerals.

Last years there were changes in number of a city ­ part of the population of republic, especially in cities to poorly developed industry. The public manufacturing enterprises ­ specialising in one branch in small cities ­ of our country, in the conditions of transition to market economy from - for shortages of raw materials, fuel and the finance have in full or in part suspended the work, and the population has faced unemployment­. In such position there are cities of Kentau, Zhanatas, etc.

According to population census of 1999, number of city dwellers has decreased to 56 %; in 1990 the urban population share made 60 %. Now in cities lives 53,2 % of all population ­ of republic (the statistical data for June, 1st, 2008).

As a result of processes of intrarepublican migration the ­ number of townspeople has increased ­ in Kyzylorda, Aktobe, Karaganda, North Kazakhstan, Kostanai areas, in Almaty and Astana.

Growth of a share of townspeople in an aggregate number of the population of the country, process ­ of increase of a role of cities in society development is called as an urbanization­. The urbanization is a consequence ­ of state industrial development­. For an urbanization inflow to cities of agricultural population and increasing pendular movement of the population ­ from a rural environment and the nearest small cities in big cities ­(for work, on cultural and community needs and so forth) are characteristic­­.

Now in Kazakhstan 86 cities and 200 settlements of city ­ type are­. If in pre-revolutionary Kazakhstan there was no city with the population over 100 thousand persons today the number ­ of such cities exceeds 20. Astana is one of the largest cities of the country (the population ­ - 639,3 thousand persons) Almaty is a city-millionaire ­(in 2009 population of a city has made 1365,1 thousand persons)­.

By 2013 the population of Astana should make more than 1 million persons­.

Big cities are formed on the basis of heavy industry branches. For example, Karaganda, Rydnyi, Balkhash, Ridder (earlier Leninogorsk) are the cities formed near transport highways or in areas with the numerous population ­(for satisfaction of requirement for labour). Building ­ powerful thermal and hydroelectric power stations has impulsed in due time to growth of such cities, as Pavlodar, Aksu, Temirtau, Ust Kamenogorsk.

In territory of Atyrau area in connection with a petrocraft there was a set of working settlements.

For many large industrial centres the compact ­ spatial grouping of settlements (mainly, city), united in a single whole intensive industrial­, labour, cultural and community and other communications is characteristic­­.

Concentration of city settlements in vicinities of the large industrial centres united by close connections is called as city agglomeration.

The largest city agglomeration of republic is generated round Karaganda and Temirtau, it includes settlements of city type of Saran, Abaj, Shahtinsk, Topar, Dolinka, etc.

The industrial enterprises being in cities pollute ­ environment. Air of cities is sated by various production wastes and products of combustion of fuel of the industrial ­ enterprises exhaust gases of motor transport.

In Kazakhstan the index of pollution of atmosphere (IPА) notes seven cities. The special place among them occupies Ridder. On degree of impurity ­ after Ridder there are Ust Kamenogorsk, Aktobe and Almaty.

In view of that in city air contains of a considerable quantity ­ of carbonic gas and small quantity of oxygen ­, in cities it is necessary to land as much as possible trees, bushes and other plants. Green plantings, besides, that are absorbed ­ by carbon connections, reduce city noise.

Features of placing of agricultural population. Countryside ­ in territory of Kazakhstan depending on natural, historical and economic conditions differs from each other in the sizes and features of residing at them of people.

In the north densely populated points settle down on coast of the rivers and lakes, sometimes in areas of watersheds, and in the south and the southeast where irrigated agriculture is developed, - along channels, the mountain rivers.

In 1989-2004 the agricultural population of Kazakhstan has decreased for 431 thousand persons, or on 6 %. Reduction of number of agricultural population is caused by migration of people in cities in job searches. As a concrete example decrease in population of Almaty, Akmola areas and increase at the expense of this number ­ of inhabitants of cities of Almaty and Astana serves­. Last years the ­ return tendency is observed­, i.e. the number of peasants has increased by 6,3 thousand persons.

Increase of well-being of the population of the country is the main task of the policy of Republic Kazakhstan.