The Institute for Forecasting and Macroeconomic Research (IFMR) published the findings of a study of labor migration from Uzbekistan. Reportedly, the high dependence of the economy on migrant remittances in Russia is increasingly exacerbating the situation on the labor market, so it is necessary to consider new opportunities for exporting labor, the IFMR press service said.
Remittances from Russia are the most important source of foreign exchange earnings and income for Uzbekistan (11.4% of GDP), according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
According to official data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, in 2021 there were 1,36,000 labor migrants in Russia. The average monthly remittances per migrant was $453.
Uzbekistan’s economic stability is highly dependent on the flow of remittances from migrants and, therefore, on the migration policy of countries of destination, the study found. Any economic shock that forces migrants to return home will dramatically increase the country's unemployment rate and exacerbate poverty by cutting off remittances.
Today, the main destinations of labor migrants are Russia (61.5%), Kazakhstan (16.9%), Turkey (6.1%), South Korea (2%), UAE (0.8%). Of the 2 million 356 thousand labor migrants, men make up 75.9%, women - 24.1%.
Most migrants are employed in construction - 51.6%, agriculture - 12.3%, industry - 9.2% and trade - 8.5%.
The study identified future most attractive destinations for labor migration from Uzbekistan. These are Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic, France, Germany and Great Britain. Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Japan are also highlighted. Among the CIS countries, Azerbaijan and Belarus turned out to be the most potential ones.
The most important factors for labor migration are knowledge of English, the presence of diplomatic missions, the cost of air tickets, as well as GDP per capita in countries of entry.
