According to the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan, based on information from the Migration Agency, approximately 1.4 million citizens of Uzbekistan are working in almost 40 countries worldwide. The structure of labor migration is gradually shifting away from traditional destinations towards Europe and East Asia.
The agency's data indicates that the largest number of labor migrants are concentrated in Russia—834,200 people, followed by Kazakhstan with 84,400, Turkey with 72,100, and South Korea with 46,400. A total of 258,000 Uzbek citizens are employed in European countries, and another 97,700 are in other states.
Among the migrants, women account for 398,900 people, which is 28.6% of the total, while youth number 402,100 people, or 28.9%. The share of CIS countries in the migration structure has decreased to 29%, while the share of the European region has increased to 42%, and the share of East Asia has risen to 26%.
The Central Bank notes that trends in the workforce can have varied impacts on economic growth in different regions: in Central Asia, this demographic factor can increase annual economic growth by about 1 percentage point, whereas in Northern Europe, it may reduce growth by nearly 0.7 percentage points. The regulator believes this creates favorable economic conditions for expanding labor corridors from Central Asia to Europe and other countries with aging workforces.
One of the key economic factors influencing migration decisions remains the difference in wages between destination and origin countries. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the highest average wage levels were recorded in Luxembourg at $9,307 in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, followed by Belgium ($8,297), the Netherlands ($7,234), the United States ($6,273), and Finland ($6,253). Next are Ireland ($5,441), Slovakia ($5,291), Canada ($4,571), Sweden ($4,538), and Switzerland ($4,466).
The ILO report indicates that despite significant uncertainty in economic and trade policies in 2025, the global labor market proved more resilient than expected. The global unemployment rate remains around 4.9%, and the broader job deficit indicator, covering people who are not working but want and are able to work, is projected at 408 million people in 2026.
Youth unemployment in 2025 stood at 12.4%, and the proportion of young people who are neither in education, employment, nor training (NEET) reached 20%, encompassing 257 million young people. The ILO forecasts that the NEET rate among youth will reach 20.2% by 2027, and 27.7% among young women, with a potential rise to 34% among women in low- and middle-income countries.
According to the latest available ILO data for 2022, 167.7 million labor migrants participated in the international labor market, with 68.4% of them employed in high-income countries. By sector, migrant employment was distributed as follows: 68.4% in services, 24.3% in industry, and 7.4% in agriculture.
The Central Bank emphasizes that by 2030, population aging and the shrinking working-age population in European countries will become one of the key structural problems of the labor market, with the labor shortage in the region estimated at 7.5–10.5 million people. Demand for labor is expected to grow in mechanical engineering, high-tech manufacturing, infrastructure construction, transport and logistics, agriculture, medicine, information technology, tourism, and services.
According to forecasts from the Institute for Employment Research of the German Federal Employment Agency, if the country does not attract at least 400,000 skilled migrants annually, it will negatively affect GDP growth. Healthcare and social security have been named as a separate area of demand. According to the forecast by the Scientific Institute of the German Association of Private Health Insurance (WIP), the need for care in the country will reach 5.7 million people by 2030, requiring up to 500,000 additional workers in healthcare and care. In the UK, according to Skills England, about 90,000 additional care workers will be needed. In Japan, the labor shortage in care, agriculture, and construction is estimated at 6–7 million people, while in South Korea, in shipbuilding, metalworking, electronics, and industry, it is 1.2–1.5 million people.
Growing demand for workers is also forecasted in the green energy sector. A study by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK) shows that Germany will face a shortage of about 300,000 specialists in installing solar panels and wind turbines, as well as technicians, mechanics, and environmental engineers, due to renewable energy projects. The Central Bank notes that Northern European countries are becoming centers of clean technologies, where demand for workers in green metallurgy, wind energy, and information technology is also growing.
Increased demand for labor is also expected in the Gulf countries as part of national development programs, including efforts to diversify the economy away from oil dependence. According to the ILO, Saudi Arabia may require 1.5 to 2 million additional workers, and the United Arab Emirates—1 million, primarily in construction, healthcare, hospitality, tourism, aviation, and logistics.
Based on these trends, the Central Bank concludes that alongside traditional labor migration, it is becoming increasingly important for Uzbekistan to develop the linguistic, professional, and digital skills of its youth, as well as prepare for remote service exports. The regulator believes that when further organizing external labor migration, demographic and structural changes in the global labor market, as well as new geographical and professional areas with high labor demand, must be taken into account.
