Youth unemployment in Uzbekistan: causes, consequences and recommendations.

Tashkent State University Of Oriental Studies 

World economy and international economic 

 relationship orientation student  

Toshbekova Nozima Rasul qizi 

Orcid: 0009-0002-8038-3656

Email:nozimatoshbekova58@gmail.com 

tel: (+998)93 949 49 78 

Annotation: This article will consider the issue of youth unemployment in Uzbekistan. The purpose of the study is to identify the main causes of unemployment among young people, their socio-economic consequences, as well as provide practical recommendations for solving the problem. The study used statistical analysis, comparative method, observation methods. As a result, it was found that the main causes of youth unemployment were discrepancies between education and labor market demands, inexperience, lack of jobs, territorial and gender differences. 

Keywords: Youth unemployment, labor market, employment, digital economy, gender equality, human capital 

Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolada O’zbekistondagi yoshlar ishsizligi masalasi ko’rib chiqiladi. Tadqiqotning maqsadi yoshlarning ishsizligining asosiy sabablarini, ularning ijtimoiy-iqtisodiy oqibatlarini aniqlash, shuningdek, muammoni hal qilish bo’yicha amaliy tavsiyalar berishdan iborat. Tadqiqotda statistik tahlil,  qiyosiy usul, kuzatish usullari qo‘llanilgan. Natijada,  yoshlar ishsizligining asosiy sabablari ta’lim va mehnat bozori talablari o‘rtasidagi tafovutlar,  tajribasizlik, ish o‘rinlarining yetishmasligi,  hududiy va gender tafovutlar ekanligi aniqlandi.

Аннотация:  В статье рассматривается проблема безработицы среди молодежи в Узбекистане. Цель исследования — выявить основные причины безработицы среди молодежи, их социально-экономические последствия и дать практические рекомендации по решению проблемы. В исследовании использовались методы статистического анализа, сравнительного метода и наблюдения. В результате было установлено, что основными причинами молодежной безработицы являются несоответствие между образованием и требованиями рынка труда, отсутствие опыта, нехватка рабочих мест, региональные и гендерные различия.

Introduction

Unemployment is a situation in which a part of the economically active population cannot find a job that is suitable for them and becomes unemployed. In economic life, unemployment manifests itself as a situation in which the supply of labor exceeds the demand for it. The cause of unemployment can vary: such as the development of techniques, a reduction in market demand for goods, an increase in demand for skilled labor.

Youth unemployment in Uzbekistan is becoming an increasingly urgent socio-economic problem. Youth unemployment not only slows economic growth, but also increases migration, negatively affects the morale of young people, and leads to inefficient use of the country’s human capital. More than 60% of Uzbekistan’s population is under the age of 30, and 500,000 to 700,000 young people enter the labor market each year. While the overall unemployment rate has fallen to 4.9% by the end of 2025 , the youth unemployment rate has been found to be approximately twice as high as the overall figure, at 10.94% in 2024, according to the ILO and World Bank models.  The purpose of the article is to provide an in-depth analysis of the causes of youth unemployment as well as to offer effective solutions and recommendations. 

Research methodology

 This study was conducted using a survey method to study the problem of youth unemployment in Uzbekistan. The study was conducted in September-October 2025 in various districts of Tashkent city (Yunusabad, Chilanzor, Shaykhontohur, Mirabad, Sergeli). The number of young people who participated in the survey was 52. The survey was conducted based on the following main questions:

Young people’s NNG age, gender, level of education and studied specialty;

 Current employment status ; 

The biggest obstacles to finding a job (experience requirement, lack of practical Qualifications, low number of jobs, territorial restrictions, gender differences); 

The degree of incompatibility between the education system and labor market requirements; 

The impact of digital technologies and automation on youth employment .

The survey was conducted online through the Google Forms platform, as well as in paper form in places where young people gather in Tashkent.

Review of used literature

The World Bank’s (World Bank)report “Youth Employment in Uzbekistan: Opportunities and Challenges” (2021) cited inconsistency between education and labor market demands , inexperience, poor jobs in rural areas, and high informality as the main causes of youth unemployment. The authors of the report (Alicia Marguerie and Maddalena Honorati) stated that the NEET level of youth (not in Education, Employment or Training) is high, especially among young women, which can reach up to 66%, stating that this situation is due to social norms, low wages and lack of formal jobs. It was noted that most young people work in low-productivity sectors (agriculture, construction, trade) and that labor migration is a temporary solution to the problem, but not a long-term one. The report highlights the need to improve the quality of education, strengthen career guidance, and reduce labor market barriers to improve youth employment. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) model assessment (ILOSTAT, 2020-2025), youth unemployment rates in Uzbekistan between the ages of 15-24 are fluctuating between 10.8–13% and are 2 times higher than overall unemployment. ILO data points to demographic pressure (500–700,000 young people entering the labor market each year) and insufficient job creation from economic growth as key factors. A 2020 study by UNICEF and the promotion movement found that 54.6% of young people are not engaged in either study, work, or vocational training after compulsory secondary education. The report highlighted the difficulties in accessing education and employment as the most pressing issue for young people, and emphasized the need to develop skills such as foreign languages, entrepreneurship, and business literacy. The UNDP’s 2025 report “Informal Employment in Uzbekistan” highlights the hidden forms of unemployment among young people and their exclusion from the pension and healthcare systems. It is noted that youth unemployment could reach 15.9%. Many local studies conducted by the Statistics Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (stat.uz) highlight that the main causes of youth unemployment are the mismatch between education and the labor market, lack of experience, regional and gender differences. For example, in the works of Jo’rayev Sherali Anor o’g’li and others (2022–2025), demographic growth, lack of professional skills, and disparities in regional economic development are identified as the main factors of youth unemployment. The article by Abdullayev and Begalova (2021) analyzes current issues in ensuring employment, including youth employment, the development of vocational education, and improving the infrastructure of the labor market. They made proposals for professional orientation and the creation of new jobs based on foreign experiences. Mansurov Shahzad (2024) in his article” youth employment in Uzbekistan: opportunities and problems “assessed the effectiveness of programs such as creating new jobs for young people,” and subsidized loans, but still noted the high NEET level and migration problem.

Research Results

The following key observations were made based on the survey results: 74% of young people cited lack of experience and practical skills as the biggest obstacle to finding a job. 61% of young people said that the knowledge they received in educational institutions does not meet the requirements of the labor market. 68% of survey participants said that traditional jobs are being lost due to the development of digital technologies, but at the same time, new opportunities are opening up for young people with digital skills.

Among young people who have found a job or are expecting a high income, interest in digital directions turned out to be 2.1–2.4 times higher. 59% of young people who are in traditional occupations or are looking for work in this field said they are worried about the future of their professions due to digital transformation.            

The results of this survey empirically confirmed the main factors of youth unemployment (lack of experience, mismatch between education and the labor market, difficulties in adapting to the digital economy). 

The limitations of the study include the small sample size (only within the city of Tashkent), as well as the fact that it did not fully reflect the hidden unemployment situation. This methodology provided a clearer picture of the current state of youth unemployment and its relationship to digital transformation.

Discussion

The strength of the study was that it identified the impact of digital transformation through a survey conducted in Tashkent. This topic has become increasingly relevant in recent years, as automation is reducing traditional jobs while demand is increasing in IT, digital marketing, and other tech fields. It is a positive trend that interest in digital skills is high in the survey, but it is necessary to develop these skills.

At the same time, the limitations of the study are also worth noting: since the sample size is small (52 people) and limited only to the city of Tashkent, it is impossible to generalize the results to the whole country. Hidden unemployment and did not fully reflect the situation in rural areas. Overall, the study highlights the following areas to address youth unemployment:

Adaptation of the educational system to the requirements of the labor market.                                                        

Teaching digital and modern skills.                                                                           

Development of mechanisms for creating the first work experience for young people Elimination of Gender and territorial inequalities.

If these directions are implemented, it will be possible to significantly reduce youth unemployment and effectively use the country’s human capital. The study shows that the problem is not only economic, but also social and educational in nature, requiring a comprehensive approach.

Conclusion

The main objective of this study was to conduct an in-depth analysis of the causes of youth unemployment in Uzbekistan, identify its socio-economic consequences, and develop practical recommendations for solving the problem. The main results are that the overall unemployment rate will remain around 10.8–10.94% in 2025, and youth unemployment will remain around 10.8–10.94% in 2024, according to ILO models – more than twice the overall rate. The significance of these results: youth unemployment not only slows economic growth but also increases migration. Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations can be made:                                                                                

Adapting the education system to the needs of the labor market,                                          

Creating opportunities for young people to gain experience,                                                     

Encouraging the creation of new jobs in digital and innovative fields;

References

1.M.K.Abdullayev, D.B.Begalova (2021). Current issues in ensuring employment in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Scientific electronic journal “Economy and Innovative Technologies”.

2.Honorati, M., & Marguerie, A. (2021). Youth employment in Uzbekistan: Opportunities and challenges. World Bank Group. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/666311634704762319/pdf/Youth-Employment-in-Uzbekistan-Opportunities-and-Challenges.pdf

3.International Labour Organization. (2024). ILOSTAT database: Youth unemployment in Uzbekistan. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/

4.Jo‘rayev, S. A. son. (2022–2025). Research on demographic growth, lack of professional skills, and disparities in regional economic development. 

5.Mansurov, S. (2024). Youth employment in Uzbekistan: opportunities and challenges.

6.United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Informal employment in Uzbekistan. UNDP Uzbekistan. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-10/report_informal_economy_eng.pdf

7.UNICEF, Youth Union, & Yuksalish National Movement. (2020). https://www.unicef.org/uzbekistan/media/3541/file/YouthofUzbekistan-ChallengesandProspects.pdf

8.Statistics Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2025). Labor market statistics and youth employment indicators. stat.uz. https://stat.uz/

Who Will Fly Us This Time?

Gaurav Ojha

Winds howl from the north

Hurricanes rumble from the south

As the butterfly flutters in some la-la land

Thunder and lightning turn their havoc on

What gets triggered cannot be undone

Anger fuels the fire and lets it burn

There are traitors among us

Hiding within the crowds

They told us to pick up stones

To wound our own heads

After those flames and smokes

We were only left with the ashes to recollected

Is there a spark left to reignite?

Has the experiment failed?

Are we getting dumped into the dustbin again?

What if another storm is coming?

Carrying the gush of dishonesty and despair

What would happen to our freedom?

As the soft rain washes young blood from the street

Do they even know why they have died?

What kind of burden do they want us to carry?

Are we the sheep as we were?

In between old and new

What about those rebellions

Where wretches were sacrificed in the feast

Prepared by jackals for their wolf

The lion kept on roaring from the zoo

But the master knew how to keep his dogs happy with bones

Everything changed for the same thing to return

Can the Lucifer restore glory to this lost Shangri-La?

What if his dark glasses can’t find the vision?

Will the clown get up and perform on the stage again?

Jokers are ready to follow in the footsteps

Our red stars have fallen cold

And the sun doesn’t even have its shadows

But the bells of the temple are bustling

 After the ritual of fire, smoke, ashes and sacrifice 

Are we still searching for the way from one hell to another?

Who will find our golden calf that has gone astray?

For a nation without ideals

Grass remains green on the other side.

Beggars have no choice, they say

Like a kite hovering over an unknown horizon

What a monstrous torture

Who will fly us this time?

Oh! Generation of fire and zeal

Don’t let them crawl back

With the promises that resemble a hoax

Revolutions where pawns die for their savior

Listen to what they don’t say

Say what? They don’t want to listen

To the kings, queens, and those who remain unspoken

With their enchanters and bandwagons

Horses, donkeys, camels and ministers

They will weave their magic, play out their tricks

But don’t let them turn your hopes

Into just another circus

(Gaurav Ojha is a faculty member specializing in communication, critical thinking, management, and research at various educational institutions in the Kathmandu Valley. As part of his creative pursuits, Mr. Ojha regularly publishes opinion pieces, poems, and non-fiction articles covering a wide range of topics, including death, disease, social issues, humanism, and spirituality.)

Self-Focused Workshop


Workshop happens on a continuous basis

1. Foundation and identity Validation:

Who the heck are you and what do you bring to the ball?

2. Getting yourself around and getting yourself chosen:

While making your rounds If you wanna get chosen first choose yourself

3. Managing your quirks neuroses while accentuating your positive traits:

Carefully calculate risks versus reward but not at the expense of not being YOU first

4.  Daily functionality and internal stock management:

Identify what works and let go of the rest 

Haiku: Let it Float Away

Let it all float away

Like the boats and the stray leaves

On a moonlit bay…–

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Spirit of Change Magazine, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at:  http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–

A RIGHTEOUS DAUGHTER’S PRAYER

A thousand thanks to God, my endless prayer

For giving me a mother kind and rare

My crown in Heaven, Eden’s brightest part

My loveliest moments live within your heart, Mom

My faith, my pride, my honor standing tall

My greatest mountain – you above them all 

When I take flight, you are my wings to soar

My finest song, my strength forevermore, Dad

Eshmatova Charos is one of the most inquisitive students, deeply studying linguistic theory, and a holder of international certificates. She was born on August 18, 2007 in Uzbekistan. She is studying at Denau Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy Fields of activity: in depth of study the Uzbek language, gaining detailed knowledge of Turkish languages, and Early Achievements and Educational Path. She has obtained a national certificate in Uzbek language and literature (B level) and holds several international certificates. She graduated from secondary school with excellent grades and achieved notable positions in several academic subject Olympics.

Beleever 

They say it is useless, some people say 

They say it will never heal anyway

But, there are some who do not believe in Beleever

And some are waiting, hoping it will fail forever

From a company in Japan,

From Shisiyado Siyako’s hand.

From Marjon Calcium’s harmony,

It opens the door to healthy destiny.

Beleever, Beleever, oh Beleever,

We truly love you forever.

Beleever, Beleever, oh Beleever,

With you our lives are healthier.

Some have already been cured,

Some have risen, their strength secured.

Many found joy and a brand-new start,

Some are eager to drink with heart.

Some cannot reach the product’s way,

But those who drink are healed each day.

Some expected death in despair,

But found new life and fresh air.

Some passed with honor, that is true,

But many still love Beleever too.

Beleever, Beleever, oh Beleever,

We truly love you forever.

Beleever, Beleever, oh Beleever,

With you our lives are healthier.

Dilafro‘z Sultanova, daughter of Azimboy, was born in 1996 in the To‘rtko‘l district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. She stepped into the world of literature in 2025 and has since emerged as a prolific and dedicated creative writer. To date, she is the author of thousands of literary works and the holder of several international certificates.

Her creative portfolio is diverse, encompassing quotes, monologues, life-based stories, poems, and traditional ghazals. Through her writing, she reflects deep emotional insight and a strong connection to real-life experiences. Several of her poems are currently being adapted into songs, marking a new stage in her artistic journey and highlighting the growing recognition of her work.

“All Encompassing”

1.)

As age cleans me out

day and night tasting

sugar and icing cakes

chocolate malts and lipstick kisses

my memories mounting horses

galloping across fields and countries

I laugh gritting my teeth

wailing against walls and doors unopening…

2.)

My mother cooks in a hot kitchen

my father hammering nails of fire

wars mounting tanks and hollow ships

full of men in metal suits and swimming trunks

fishing for good against wrong

ideas changing through centuries

waking up childhood dreams

with the sun rising through a rainbow window.

3.)

We will die fat and boneless

in our conclusions

not knowing the whole truth

and the endlessness of shame

some grabbing ahold of God

as He lets us enter the Light

the stars not enough

for all the dark hearts.

4.)

But God’s heart all encompassing.

The Last
Your heart tiptoed down the hall
out the door
across the street
as far as the other side of town
until the rubber band snapped
and took the rest of you
leaving a chasm in mine.

I filled it with words
first as entreaties
cried out ever so calmly
then etched onto endless pages
until the torrent ebbed
and shifted form.

One day
I realized I had written a poem
that wasn’t about us.

So this is my final for you.
One word
broken in two.

Good
bye.

Periodic Table of Emotions 

There’s a science to this chemistry of avoiding combining catalytic connections between the heart and the head. Like all good experiments, something has to blow up, spill over, or make me choke to figure out what doesn’t work. Unfortunately, while actual scientists record the results to know what to  avoid, as an artist, I tend to use a less clinical approach; the process has always been what interests  me most. Even with the dances I choreograph, once they are done, it’s being in rehearsal I remember,  not the finished work.  

So in the lab of my life, I need to go back and redo again, and again, not remembering that it isn’t the  amount of each element, but the fact that they don’t work together at all. Reminding me once again  that this combination still produces a destabilizing outcome. 

Longing and anticipation, anxiety and memory, anger and regret, self-medication and sorrow, these  opposing components do not play nicely together in any setting, controlled or otherwise. 

With compounding and identifying which interactions work well together, the balancing act is more  nuanced, but I have found that these groupings are always from the same side of the spectrum. Calm  and compassion, forgiveness and gratitude, awareness and curiosity, these always interplay quite  nicely. Mixed with the right physical response, they can produce an alchemical conversion into a state  of being that is calm, settled, almost at peace. With more subtle adjustments: a little more breathing,  a little less fear, the sweet spot of spiritual sanity is attained. Not in the past or future but finally,  gloriously, successfully in the present. 

Exhale. 

Now, where did I leave that glass of wine? 

– Janaea Rose Lyn

5 

4 

I love this rhythm. Generally subdivided as 123, 12, or 12, 123, it’s my favorite to choreograph and  drum. Dum dum dum, Tek tek. Dum dum, Tek tek tek. Or to jumpstart the clutch of my heart when it’s faltering. Boom boom boom, Bap bap. Boom boom, Bap bap bap.  

Five is the number of wounded themes I have identified, where the best and worst of my impulses  reside. It is the count of the primary pillars that inform my life. And let’s not forget the senses. Each  has a primary pattern that is daily re-interpreted with subdivisions, changing accents, and  syncopation, as I phrase the structured improvisation that is my life: 

Belonging attention care, Trust guidance 

Love service, Art beauty abundance 

Sight sound smell, Taste touch 

The first are my recent areas of intense scrutiny. What I didn’t get, what I long for, what I gave to a fault,  what informed my behaviors, and where I attached the conviction that no longer serves me. Protective  armor has its place, for a time. Defenseless, I have no choice but to give these to myself. The  necessary cliché of healing my inner child so the adult me is integrated, interacting with intention and no longer in reaction. The work at hand. 

Following are what nourish me, and each other. Soul food. 

The last are trickier. Blinders finally off, the view is expansive, but the glare of seeing what is actually in  front of me often requires a hat, something I never wore before. The volume of the voices in my head is louder, too. I lost my olfactory sense for a time, which has always been dominant for me, so it was  disorienting to say the least. The day of the shock, it came back full force. It turns out I also needed  some pharmaceutical assistance, so it’s now safely restored to the pantheon of pleasures. The final  two can leave me aching, so I try not to focus on them as much since you’ve gone. I can enjoy eating  and drinking again, but that’s not the flavor I miss. When we do see each other, I look forward to our  parting hug, brief kiss of care, and the sensation of your scent landing lightly on my skin.  

– Janaea Rose Lyn

Room to Move 

Gravity, physics, and physical abilities notwithstanding, the primary partner in my dancing life was  space. Moving in and through it, changing levels and planes, staying in place or inverting perspective,  all of this expanded my expressiveness. Space is tangible. It has weight and viscosity. It’s more  obvious when it duets with water or temperature and can be felt as humidity or an icy chill, but it  shimmers all the time. Pay attention, and you’ll see.  

Now I am navigating a whole other relationship to spaciousness, interiority. My head and heart  growing to make room for a different kind of locomotion. I have always worked on my inner self, but as  with training my outer self, neither produced outcomes as quickly as hoped. With time, the results  were evident in both areas. I have many decades of practice under my belt. 

Unencumbered by the grueling demands of the life I once lived, I find I am working harder than I ever  have. My daily spiritual practice takes as long as a New York City technique class once did. Once  completed, I am not sweating on the outside but equally as exhilarated within. Filled with insights,  understanding, and shifting perceptions, I may look the same to others, but invisibly, I am more  gracious and accepting. I am less encumbered by my psychology, and am learning how to get, and  stay, out of my old ways. I no longer get as easily ensnared in the drama of others.  

I have blood memory and bone density, even if my flesh is a little more wrinkled. I often get  compliments on my long, salt and pepper mermaid hair. You have to earn that, and I can live  underwater now. I can breathe in both worlds. The vastness of emptiness is not terrifying anymore  because I have found that when I fall, I can also grow wings. I have met divine mentors and  apprenticed myself. I was always a serious student, though to my chagrin, not always a quick learner. 

Like the air that surrounded me onstage, unseen by the audience but charged nonetheless, I am a  lone but no longer alone.  

I’m in good company. 

– Janaea Rose Lyn

See Through 

Where stone and pillar held firm and formidable, diagonal canyons of air and light form transient  shadow and shape. 

Strange how echoes become visible when belonging to either side. 

Confessions and fervent prayers drift past in full view, no longer needing to seep through cracks to escape.  

Bored eyerolls and questionable gestures intended for childhood crushes across a pew look lost, eternally seeking a response no longer forthcoming. 

The curious daughter of the tree out back  

climbed as the perfect perch 

to hold hands, steal a kiss, 

has entered as a congregant of trunk and branch. 

Deeply exquisite is this state of exposure. 

Nothing ruined, only revealed. 

Centuries of lives that cobbled these stones with their stories, only to find their place with one. At their head. 

Sun replacing stained glass becomes the window witness. 

 – Janaea Rose Lyn 

Photo: All Hallows House, Alison Butler (2023)