The Central Bank of Uzbekistan has published an analytical report on key changes in the labor market following the results of the third quarter of 2025. The study covering July–September compiled detailed figures on labor supply and demand, household well-being, and the activity of cross-border remittance flows. This was reported by upl.uzreports.
According to the report, over three months the number of job openings in the domestic market increased by 3.3%, showing positive momentum. The largest share fell to wholesale and retail trade, accounting for 17.9% of all vacancies. Next came food service (17.1%) and industrial production (17%), with nearly identical results.
Despite the increase in vacancies, by the end of the quarter jobseeker activity began to show signs of stagnation rather than growth. The flow of resumes remained high, but by September the usual seasonal “surge” on digital platforms slowed. The most new candidates appeared in marketing, advertising and communications, customer service, and domestic staff roles.
In monitoring conducted in July–August, the regulator noted that businesses generally remained optimistic about expanding their teams. The share of entrepreneurs intending to increase headcount was 33.9%, higher than the second-quarter figure of 30.2%. However, in September, due to seasonal adjustments, this expected indicator fell to 30.8%.
At the same time, the share of companies preparing to cut staff also increased. While 8.7% reported downsizing plans in the second quarter, by the end of the third quarter this figure reached 12.7%. The most worrying signals come from construction and trade: 16.4% and 25.6% of managers, respectively, warned about possible layoffs.
Financial indicators continue to “move upward.” In the first nine months of 2025, nominal wages rose by 19.2%, and after accounting for inflation, real household incomes increased by 9.1%. The Central Bank emphasized that planned pay rises in the public sector and measures to curb inflation played an important role in this growth. By the end of September, the average monthly wage reached 6.2 million soums.
Differences across sectors remain large. The highest pay is traditionally in finance and insurance, averaging 16.8 million soums. IT and communications are close behind at 15 million soums. Experts also noted faster income growth in logistics, warehousing, and social services.
Construction sits at the bottom of the ranking: despite nominal growth of 9.2%, real incomes actually declined by 0.1%. This indicates that amid cost and price pressures, workers’ earnings in the sector are not increasing as expected.
The regional picture is also uneven. Samarkand Region leads real wage growth at 14.6%, followed by Syrdarya (11.1%) and Namangan (10.9%). Andijan (2.9%) and Navoi (5.9%) recorded the lowest figures. Analysts warned that sharp income increases in some regions without corresponding productivity gains could put excessive pressure on consumer prices.
Remittance inflows from abroad also strengthened noticeably. In July–September 2025, cross-border transfers totaled $5.7 billion, up 18.5% year on year. The regulator attributed this to high economic activity in countries where labor migrants work and to the strengthening of national currencies.
Interestingly, the sharpest growth was seen in transfers from the Baltic states, jumping by 40%. In traditional corridors such as Russia and European countries, growth rates were reported to have slowed.
In 2025, Uzbekistan’s IT sector further strengthened its position as one of the highest-paying fields. At the same time, the gap between IT specialists’ incomes and those of social-sector workers still exceeds threefold, accelerating young people’s массовый shift into digital professions.
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