Nearly 80,000 people receive unemployment benefits, official says

Nearly 80,000 people are receiving unemployment benefits in Uzbekistan, Sobir Khayitmurodov, head of a department at the Employment Ministry, told reporters in Tashkent on Wednesday.

He said they have been sent to vocational training, with their tuition fully covered and a stipend provided during the course.

To be eligible, a person must have paid social tax for 1 year and 8 months during the past five years, Khayitmurodov said. If a person cannot be placed in a job that matches their qualifications, a commission recognizes them as unemployed, after which the benefit is granted.

The maximum payment is three times the minimum wage, or 4.08 million soums, and it is paid for up to three months.

“We are now proposing an amendment to the law that would extend the payment period to four months,” Khayitmurodov said. He added that the change could take effect if the bill is passed by parliament and approved.

Earlier, it was reported that the poverty rate declined from 5.8% to 3.6% in January-September 2026. According to Employment Ministry analysis, 824,000 people were placed in permanent jobs over the nine months, about 4.14 million were helped to increase their incomes, and informal employment was formalized for 980,000.