Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As of the first half of 2025, the unemployment rate in Uzbekistan declined to 5.1%, down 0.4 percentage points compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction.

The country’s labor force numbers 20.3 million people, of whom 15.4 million are economically active and 4.9 million are economically inactive. Among the economically active population, 14.6 million people are employed, while 781.6 thousand are registered as unemployed.

According to the ministry, approximately 8 million people are formally employed, representing 55% of the labor force, which is 19% higher than in the first half of 2024.

Meanwhile, 4.8 million people (33%) work informally, which is 13.6% less than last year, and 1.8 million people (12%) are employed abroad.

Among the economically inactive population, 2 million people (41%) are studying, and 2.2 million people (44%) are on parental leave for children under two years old.

Approximately 0.8 million people neither wish to work nor have the opportunity to be employed.