According to data presented at the meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the number of Uzbek citizens working abroad has decreased by half compared to 2016. At the same time, the volume of funds they send to their families has increased fourfold.
These changes, Mirziyoyev noted, indicate a transformation in the nature of labor migration and a growing demand for Uzbek specialists in global labor markets. Employers are increasingly viewing Uzbek citizens not just as a source of labor, but as qualified professionals.
The President emphasized that in recent years, Uzbekistan has significantly reformed its labor migration system and expanded the geography of international cooperation from three countries to twenty-seven. Furthermore, about 400 large foreign employers have signed partnership agreements with the government of Uzbekistan.
Mirziyoyev highlighted the need to improve the matching mechanisms between the needs of foreign companies for workers and the offerings of citizens seeking employment abroad amid the changing global labor market. He stated that people must deeply master their profession, know their value, and be able to count on their country.
Differences in the incomes of Uzbek citizens working abroad were also studied at the meeting. According to the figures presented, the average monthly remittance to the Fergana region is 1850 US dollars. Meanwhile, in the Khorezm and Surkhandarya regions, this amount is below 700 US dollars, and in the Jizzakh and Navoi regions—600 US dollars. In the Syrdarya region, the average income is about 500 US dollars, and in Karakalpakstan and Tashkent region—about 400 US dollars.
Mirziyoyev instructed officials to revise the organization of labor migration to help citizens obtain higher-paying jobs and ensure proper protection of their rights. He insisted on monitoring the workplace of each migrant, the size of their earnings, and who represents their interests.
To achieve this goal, it is planned to strengthen interaction between regional administrations, technical colleges, and diplomatic missions of Uzbekistan abroad. The existing cooperation between educational institutions and employers in Germany, Slovakia, Turkey, and Qatar was noted as a positive example.
