Unemployment rate falls in Uzbekistan – Ministry of Employment

In the third quarter of 2025, Uzbekistan’s unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent, down 0.8 percentage points compared to the same period in 2024, the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment reported.

According to the ministry, Uzbekistan’s population totals 37.8 million, of which:

•  Labor resources: 20.35 million (up 1.9 percent or 387.3 thousand);
•  Economically active population: 15.57 million;
•  Employed population: 14.81 million (up 4.1 percent or 579.6 thousand).

Among them, 8.58 million work in the formal sector (up 17 percent or 1,243.7 thousand), while 4.38 million are employed in the informal sector (down 26.9 percent or 1,176.0 thousand).

The number of citizens working abroad reached 1.86 million, an increase of 512 thousand. Currently, 760 thousand people in the country are seeking employment.

The ministry also noted that in 2025, 4.45 million people were provided with income-generating employment:

•  Agriculture: 1.29 million;
•  Services: 2.74 million;
•  Construction: 172.3 thousand;
•  Investment projects: 256.2 thousand.

For reference, the unemployment rate in Uzbekistan in the second quarter of 2025 was 5.1 percent.

It is worth noting that earlier, changes to the procedure for paying unemployment benefits in Uzbekistan were announced, effective from November 1, 2025.