Uzbekistan Labor Market Maintains High Activity in Q1 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The labor market of Uzbekistan maintained high activity in the first quarter of 2026 against the background of steady economic growth. According to a review by the Central Bank, the demand for labor increased in the country, the expansion of employment continued, the unemployment rate decreased, and the growth of real wages was accompanied by an increase in the volume of remittances from abroad.

According to Central Bank data, the number of vacancies reached 15.4 thousand in March, representing a 9.8% increase compared to the same period last year. Following a decline in the number of vacancies in January and February, the labor market demonstrated a noticeable recovery. The highest demand for workers remained in the services sector, retail trade, public catering, and manufacturing, while the growing need for personnel in construction was supported by investment activity and seasonal factors.

At the same time, the labor supply grew faster than demand. According to information cited in the review from alternative sources, the number of active resumes in the first quarter increased by 31.5% to reach 636 thousand, which intensified competition in the labor market and contributed to the gradual stabilization of wage growth rates.

The expansion of employment also continued. The main contribution to the creation of new jobs was made by the services sector, primarily financial and insurance activities, professional and technical services, and administrative services. At the same time, employment in agriculture declined due to the redistribution of labor resources to other sectors of the economy, while industry and trade demonstrated steady employment growth.

The private sector remained the key source of employment growth. In 2025, the number of people employed in the private sector increased by 5.2%, providing the main contribution to the overall increase in employment. The state sector also showed positive dynamics, but its impact turned out to be significantly more limited. Against this background, the unemployment rate continued to decline and stood at 4.8% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.

Central Bank survey results indicate that business expectations regarding hiring staff remain positive. The most pronounced plans to expand employment were noted in the services and trade sectors, while enterprises in industry predominantly expect to maintain their current employment levels. Overall, business assessments point to the resilience of labor demand and the preservation of positive expectations regarding economic activity.

In the first quarter, wage growth continued in almost all sectors of the economy. The highest rates of salary increases were recorded in the financial and insurance sector, transport services, and other service areas where a high demand for qualified personnel persists. In retail trade and public catering, wages also grew, though at a more moderate pace.

The average nominal wage for January–March increased by 17.4% compared to the same period last year, while the real wage grew by 9.5%. At the same time, the Central Bank notes a gradual slowdown in nominal wage growth against the background of declining inflation, while the real incomes of the population continue to support domestic consumer demand.

However, the regulator draws attention to a slowdown in labor productivity growth. While the average growth in productivity was around 5% in 2018–2025, the figure decreased to approximately 3% in the last year. Against the backdrop of GDP growth of 7.7% and an employment increase of 4.7%, economic growth is being driven more by the expansion of employment than by increases in labor efficiency. According to the Central Bank's assessment, further productivity gains will depend on improving worker qualifications, redistributing labor resources to more efficient industries, and the quality of investment activity. Simultaneously, the faster growth of real wages compared to labor productivity indicates the persistence of inflationary pressures in the economy.

The review also notes an increase in population mobility. In the first quarter, the number of Uzbekistan citizens traveling abroad reached 1.63 million people, which is 11.6% higher than the figure from a year ago. The number of passengers transported by air increased by 32%, totaling 2.25 million people.

According to the latest available data, 1.34 million citizens of Uzbekistan worked in Russia under patents in the first quarter, which is 8.8% less compared to the previous quarter and 1.8% lower than the level from a year ago. The Central Bank attributes this dynamic to seasonal factors and changes in the external labor market. At the same time, the diversification of labor migration continues. The number of official work permits in Türkiye rose to nearly 70 thousand, which is 14% more than a year earlier, while the number of Uzbekistan citizens in South Korea reached 99.6 thousand people.

The volume of remittances to Uzbekistan in January–March amounted to US$3.8 billion, increasing by 13% compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the diversification of inflow sources continued. The share of remittances from Russia decreased from 77.6% to 72.4%, while the share of transfers from Kazakhstan, South Korea, European countries, and other states increased.

According to the Central Bank's assessment, the future dynamics of the remittance structure will depend on the situation in external labor markets and macroeconomic conditions in the main partner countries of Uzbekistan.