The unemployment rate in Uzbekistan for January-July 2020 was 13.2 percent

In June this year, the Republican scientific center for employment and labor protection of the Ministry of employment and labor relations conducted a regular sociological survey in 101 cities and districts of Uzbekistan using a methodology developed on the basis of recommendations of the International labor organization, which covered 490 self-government bodies of citizens, 4.9 thousand households and 25.9 thousand citizens.

Quarantine measures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus infection during the COVID-19 period had a significant impact on the labor market.

The results of the study showed that the unemployment rate among the economically active population of the republic was 13.2 percent. This figure in the same period of 2019 was 9.1 percent. The number of people in need of employment was 1,944,0 thousand (the unemployment rate among young people aged 16 to 30 years – 20.1%, among women-17.4%).

According to preliminary data, the number of labor resources in comparison with the same period in 2019 increased by 0.6 percent and amounted to 19,084. 6 thousand people, the number of employed in economic sectors over the same period due to the negative impact of COVID-19 the activity of economic entities decreased by 5 percent or by 671 thousand people, amounting to 12,736,700 people.

The number of people employed in the official sector of the economy amounted to 5,581. 2 thousand people, a decrease of 0.2 percent, or 12.4 thousand people, compared to the same period last year.

At the same time, the number of individuals engaged in individual entrepreneurship decreased by 167.5 thousand (46.4%) compared to the same period last year, which is a result of restrictive measures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus infection, while attracting 131.2 thousand people to paid public works prevented a sharp decline in the number of people employed in the official sector.

According to the results of surveys, the number of citizens who left for work abroad amounted to 2,040 thousand people, which is lower than in the same period last year by 553.2 thousand, and compared to the first quarter of 2020 – for 232 thousand people.

The number of people employed in the informal sector of the economy (excluding migrant workers working abroad) decreased by 2.1 percent, or by 105.3 thousand people, to 5,114.6 thousand people compared to last year. At the same time, this reduction was due to a reduction in the number of temporarily employed in one-time and seasonal jobs (by 108.4 thousand), employed without registration of labor relations at family enterprises and entrepreneurs (by 87.4 thousand), as well as entrepreneurs working without registration and appropriate permission (110.6 thousand).

However, the number of employees on dehkan farms and personal plots increased by 201,1 thousand due to the increase in the period of quarantine measures the number of remaining home citizens and the great increase of programs, grants for development of private farms from the Employment promotion fund.

Granting business entities and the self-employed the right to use incentive benefits and accounting for work experience creates an opportunity to reduce the share of employment in the informal sector.

The number of economically inactive population of the Republic increased by 4.5 percent in the first half of the year. This indicator has increased due to the fact that representatives of the business and services sector who temporarily suspended their activities during the quarantine measures, in the course of the survey, expressed their support for its resumption after the lifting of restrictions, and subsequently preferred not to engage in other activities.

From January to June 2020, and especially in order to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market, the labor authorities provided employment assistance services to 588.2 thousand unemployed and unemployed citizens (159.9 thousand of them are under 30 years of age, 229.4 thousand are women).

In particular, through employment in permanent jobs and involvement in paid public works, 501.1 thousand people were employed, and vocational training was provided 15 thousand unemployed, unemployment benefits were paid to 27 thousand unemployed at the expense of the Employment promotion fund for a total amount of 10.1 billion sums.

In addition, the employment assistance Fund grants provided employment for 24.8 thousand people on private farms, 15 thousand citizens were accepted as members of agricultural, clothing or craft cooperatives,3 thousand involved in business activities, 256 employers received financial support for improving the professional skills of 2,3 thousand unemployed people employed by the labor authorities, as well as employment of socially vulnerable segments of the population.