President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Askarbek Yertayev as Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population.

Born in 1977 in Aktobe, Yertayev graduated from Zhubanov Aktobe State University and the NUR Aktobe Institute of Management, Business, and Law, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

He began his professional career in 1997 as a specialist in industry, transport, communications, construction, and public utilities at the Mugalzhar district administration in the Akmola region.

Yertayev has extensive experience in the banking sector, having held various positions at Aktobe branches of major financial institutions, including Halyk Bank, Komirbank, Nauryz Bank, BankTuranAlem, BTA Bank, and Temirbank.

In 2014, he joined the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan as a chief expert and later headed the department for strategic analysis and development. In 2021, Yertayev served as head of the analytical sector at Security Council of Kazakhstan, before being appointed head of the economic department in the Prime Minister’s Office of Kazakhstan in 2022.

His career in social policy accelerated in recent years: in 2023, he chaired the Migration Committee under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, became Deputy Minister in 2024, and was later promoted to First Deputy Minister.

Yertayev takes office following the dismissal of Svetlana Zhakupova, who was relieved of her duties by presidential decree.