The number of job seekers in Uzbekistan has sharply increased.
According to MB analysis, this situation is intensifying competition in the labor market and driving a rapid increase in wages in certain sectors.
In the first quarter of 2026, the number of active resumes in Uzbekistan increased by 31.5 percent, reaching 636,000. The Central Bank reported this.
The regulator noted that the rapid increase in the number of job seekers has intensified competition in the labor market, which is also providing a significant impetus to wage growth.
The analysis emphasized that employment in the economy has been steadily expanding in recent quarters. The main part of employment growth came from the services sector. In particular, employment increased significantly in financial and insurance activities, professional and technical services, and administrative and support services.
The Central Bank attributed the employment growth in these areas to the development of market infrastructure and increasing demand for new types of activities in the economy. At the same time, the decline in employment in agriculture is linked to the redistribution of labor resources to other sectors.
Steady employment growth was observed in the industrial and trade sectors, with the main share coming from the private sector. While the contribution of state-owned enterprises also remained positive, its impact was relatively limited.
According to the report, the labor market developed under conditions of high economic activity in the first quarter of 2026. The number of vacancies decreased year-on-year by 4.5 percent in January and by 6.5 percent in February. However, activity recovered in March, with 15,400 job openings announced. This is 9.8 percent more than in the corresponding period of 2025.
Demand for labor remains highest in the services sector and retail trade. Although employment in the construction sector depends on seasonal factors, demand for labor in this area also increased during the first quarter. Demand for workers was also high in the catering and manufacturing sectors, with significant activity observed.
The Central Bank noted that alternative sources also indicate that the number of job vacancies in Uzbekistan continues to grow. At the same time, the growth rate of labor supply remains significantly higher than the growth in labor demand.
According to the regulator's data, the unemployment rate in Uzbekistan stood at 4.8 percent at the end of 2025. Surveys conducted in the first quarter of 2026 also showed that expectations for hiring employees at enterprises remained positive. In particular, the share of enterprises expecting an increase in employment in the services and trade sectors increased, while expectations in industry were stable.
The Central Bank noted that the survey results indicate that positive expectations regarding the stability of demand in the labor market and business activity persist.
According to the analysis, although wage disparities across sectors persist, wages continue to grow steadily. The highest wage growth was recorded in financial and insurance activities, transport (transportation and storage), and other service sectors.
The regulator stated that this is due to the high demand for labor in these areas. In the retail trade and catering sectors, wage growth was relatively stable.
In the first quarter of this year, the average nominal wage in Uzbekistan increased by 17.4 percent, and the real wage increased by 9.5 percent.
In the first three months of 2026, the number of Uzbek citizens who went abroad reached 1.63 million. This is 11.6 percent more than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
During this period, the number of Uzbek citizens working under patents in Russia amounted to 1.34 million. This figure decreased by 8.8 percent compared to the previous quarter and by 1.8 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2025.
The Central Bank attributed this to seasonal factors and changes in external labor market conditions. At the same time, cases of Uzbek labor migrants choosing other countries are also being observed.
In particular, in the first quarter, the number of official permits issued for work in Turkey reached 70,000, an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year. The number of Uzbek citizens staying in South Korea continued to grow steadily, reaching 99,600.
