The number of job vacancies announced by business entities in Uzbekistan decreased by 9.8% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the Central Bank's Labor Market Review. The decline in demand for labor was primarily driven by the retail trade, manufacturing and other sectors. Retail trade contributed -3.8 percentage points to the overall change, while manufacturing accounted for -1.6 percentage points and other sectors contributed -2.4 percentage points.
According to the Central Bank, online job-seeking activity showed a seasonal upward trend during the second quarter. Although the growth rate in the number of active resumes slowed in some sources compared to previous periods, it remained high. The Central Bank noted that the growth in the number of resumes significantly outpaced the growth in the number of vacancies, indicating a widening gap between labor supply and demand and increasing competition among job seekers.
Despite the decline in vacancies, the number of employed people in Uzbekistan's economy increased by 5.2% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year. This represented the highest employment growth rate in the past four years, primarily driven by the industrial and service sectors. The Central Bank noted that a reduction in job vacancies does not necessarily indicate a decline in overall employment.
According to a Central Bank survey, the share of entrepreneurs expecting to increase the number of jobs declined from 40% in March to 34% in June. Meanwhile, the proportion of business entities anticipating workforce reductions rose from an average of 6.6% in the first quarter to 9.2% in the second quarter. The Central Bank indicated that weakening labor demand could affect employment figures in the coming quarters.
In early October 2026, a government resolution was adopted to improve the tracking of employment and unemployment in Uzbekistan. Under the resolution, hokim (local governor) assistants are tasked with compiling targeted lists of unemployed individuals and those in informal employment identified through a comprehensive survey. The information is entered into the "Online Mahalla" electronic platform.
Targeted lists of unemployed individuals and those in informal employment are generated through the "balans.mehnat.uz" electronic platform. The system was developed by the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment and integrates with the information systems of relevant ministries and agencies through the interdepartmental integration platform of the "Digital Government" system.