Over 200,000 Uzbek citizens to be employed abroad in 2019

The Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of Uzbekistan plans to organize employment for 200,400 citizens of the country abroad in 2019, the draft presidential decree published for discussion indicates.

In total, it is planned to employ 952,100 people within the framework of the Program for creating jobs and providing employment of the population next year, including creation of 413,000 new jobs and ensuring employment of 338,700 people.

The draft resolution provides for the removal from the informal employment sector of 273,400 workers. By 2021, the share of the formal employment sector is planned to increase from the current 59,8% to 65%.

Earlier, the Ministry of Labor announced plans within 3 years to reduce the unemployment rate from 9,3% of the economically active population (1,35 million people as of July 1, 2018) to 6,5% (about 1 million) by 2021. The main proposed measures include an annual state order for the creation of permanent 400,000 jobs, an increase in the export of labor, especially in Europe, Turkey, South Korea and Japan to 100–150 thousand people, as well as legalization (introducing a patent) for activities (such as private carrying, day work and others).

In accordance with the official data, the number of Uzbeks working abroad is 2,6 million (about 20% of the economically active population). It is expected that by 2021 the amount of remittances sent to Uzbekistan by labor migrants will increase from $ 5 billion to $ 7.2 billion a year.