Sustainable Development Goal 8 aims to implement development-oriented policies that contribute to the creation of decent jobs. And since only with the help of human ingenuity, which is embodied by intellectual work, is it possible to develop new solutions, the research aim was to analyze Kazakhstan’s labor potential in the field of highly intellectual work and develop appropriate recommendations for public policy. A quantitative study was conducted to determine the available labor resources in the field of highly intellectual work and to identify the possibility of increasing the country’s labor potential by creating jobs for the unemployed and involving university graduates in the workforce. Data from the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2022 was used. The study revealed that the highly intellectual labor market in Kazakhstan is characterized by high labor potential, an excess of labor among professionals, and a shortage of labor in managerial positions. Based on the findings, recommendations were developed aimed at reforming the educational system, stimulating the creation of new jobs, and promoting balanced growth between economic sectors.

sustainability, SDG 8, highly intellectual potential, professional specialists, socio-economical public policy, education.