President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed to review approaches to organized labor migration and intensify the preparation of citizens of Uzbekistan for high-paid foreign positions. He noted that despite expanding partnerships with foreign employers, ambassadors, hokims, and technical school directors are not effectively utilizing the potential of global labor markets.
On November 2, the head of state visited the international center for language and profession training 'Intil' in the Uchtepinsky district of Tashkent, after which a meeting was held dedicated to priority tasks in the field of labor migration. During this meeting, Mirziyoyev emphasized current trends in the global labor market.
According to him, currently, 168 million people are employed abroad, and given the presence of citizens in Uzbekistan who wish to work abroad, as well as high demand for labor in other countries, the main goal is to combine these resources.
The geography of organized labor migration of Uzbekistan has significantly increased in recent years—from three to twenty-seven countries, and the number of major foreign employers cooperating with the republic has approached four hundred. Nevertheless, over the last decade, the number of Uzbek citizens working abroad has halved, although the volume of remittances to their families has increased fourfold. The President interprets this as a sign that citizens are increasingly going to earn money not as low-skilled workers, but as trained specialists.
Differences in migrant incomes by region
The unevenness of remittances per working individual abroad was also discussed at the meeting. The highest income was recorded in the Fergana region—$1,850 monthly. In Karakalpakstan and Tashkent region, this figure is about $400, in Syrdarya region—$500, and in Jizzakh and Navoi regions—$600. In Surkhandarya and Khorezm regions, the amount does not exceed $700.
In light of this, Mirziyoyev pointed to the need to revise the activities of hokims, ambassadors, and technical school directors to prepare citizens for obtaining higher-paid vacancies abroad. The head of state stressed that workers must be aware in advance of the working conditions, salary size, and guarantees for the protection of their rights.
Need for active utilization of external market demand
Mirziyoyev also stressed the importance of closer interaction between ambassadors, regional hokimiyats, and technical schools in finding foreign partners and employing citizens. Germany, Turkey, Slovakia, and Qatar were named as successful examples of cooperation where contacts with professional educational institutions were established. At the same time, the president noted the insufficient activity of some ambassadors in this area.
The prospects for the employment of Uzbek citizens in European Union countries were discussed. The EU has included the issue of attracting specialists from Central Asia into its migration policy for the first time. However, in the president's opinion, the potential this opens up is not being fully utilized. For example, there is a need for 33 thousand workers in Great Britain, but Uzbeks are mainly sent for temporary agricultural work. Agreements with employers in the medical, logistics, and industrial sectors, as well as participation in the 'Youth Mobility' program, remain incomplete.
The situation is similar with Italy: despite agreements reached to expand cooperation in labor migration, existing opportunities are not fully realized.
Importance of foreign language skills for high wages
Another aspect of the meeting was the language training of the population. Mirziyoyev emphasized that knowledge of foreign languages is a key requirement for obtaining well-paid work abroad. About 200 thousand young people in Uzbekistan have undergone quality English language study and received the necessary certificates. However, the opportunities for their employment in countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and Denmark are not being fully utilized. The president called for the more active creation of conditions for these citizens to work in the mentioned countries and for strengthening ties with foreign employers.
