MOONLIGHTING IN PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Moonlighting, the practice of holding multiple jobs, has become widespread globally, including Kazakhstan. Among other work sectors, public healthcare has unique factors that encourage moonlighting, including non-standard shifts, irregular work hours, and low wages in the public sector. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the push and pull factors of moonlighting in public healthcare in Kazakhstan. We conducted an online survey among public hospitals and polyclinics in three big cities—Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent—that included healthcare providers. Logistic regression was applied with moonlighting as the binary outcome variable. We found that age was a major predictor, whereby younger professionals (less than 35) were over twice the probability to moonlight. Experience also comes into play; those who had more than three years of work experience tended to have secondary employment. Even though more women did moonlight as well, gender was not found to be statistically significant, although younger women in some specialties were less likely to moonlight, suggesting potential institutional or individual constraints. We recommend policymakers not to restrict moonlighting because it predominantly occurs in the same healthcare sector, not in irrelevant jobs. Enabling equitable access to regulated dual employment—especially among young and female professionals—may improve workforce experience and increase the supply of healthcare services in Kazakhstan's public healthcare sector.