The unemployment rate among the able-bodied population in Uzbekistan decreased from 10.5% in 2020 to 6.8% at the beginning of 2024, while the poverty rate fell from 17% in 2021 to 14% in 2023 and further to 11% by early 2024. These improvements were highlighted during a press conference held at the Information and Mass Communications Agency, themed "Achieved Results and Future Plans in the Field of Poverty Reduction and Employment".
Deputy Minister of Employment and Poverty Reduction Rano Turdiboyeva, along with heads of the ministry's structure and affiliated organizations, attended the conference.
In the first half of 2024, 113,000 unemployed individuals received vocational and entrepreneurial training, marking a 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Training for 12 new professions was introduced, bringing the total number of professional training programs to over 30. Foreign language education was provided to 10,000 people, a fivefold increase from the previous year.
A notable achievement in international employment was the organized and legal deployment of 64,000 citizens to work abroad, a threefold increase from the same period last year. Additionally, Uzbekistan ratified 22 International Labor Organization conventions, including two in the last six months, with plans to ratify three more.
State labor inspectors conducted 7,720 control events, identifying 21,436 violations of labor laws. As a result, 3,442 written instructions and 90 submissions were issued to employers to rectify these violations, and administrative fines were imposed on 4,335 officials. Furthermore, 254 illegally dismissed employees were reinstated, and over UZS 31bn ($2.5mn) in wages were recovered for 7,349 citizens.
The ministry has also made strides in digitizing its services. Over the past three years, 24 out of 50 public services have been transferred to a digital platform, benefiting 1.6mn users in 2023, up from 1.1mn in 2022. This digitization has eliminated the need for more than 10 types of information and documents from the public.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction plans to continue its efforts with several key initiatives. By the end of the year, 500,000 jobs will be created through the establishment of service and trade facilities along international highways in 68 regions. Additionally, the launch of over 5,000 investment projects is expected to create 197,000 permanent jobs.
As part of family business programs, UZS 2 trillion ($159.4mn) in credit will be allocated to 120,000 projects. The launch of 49,000 micro-projects in collaboration with commercial banks will create 67,000 additional jobs. Furthermore, UZS 254bn ($20.2mn) in subsidies and loans will be provided to 40,000 citizens trained in various professions at the ministry's expense.
Overall, the ministry aims to employ 1.2mn people in the service sector, 600,000 in agriculture, and 70,000 in construction. Plans are also in place to facilitate the employment of 90,000 individuals in countries such as South Korea, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary under the "work abroad - from the neighborhood" principle. Additionally, 115,000 unemployed individuals will receive training in trades, business skills, and foreign languages by the end of the year.
The "Unified National Labor System" will be developed based on key employee positions and worker classifications. Enhancements will be made to employers' personal offices, and systems for issuing notices and addressing detected violations will be established.
The ministry has also seen a decrease in the number of appeals, receiving 127,979 appeals in the first half of 2024, a 37.2% decrease compared to the same period in 2023 (203,769 appeals).
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