Remittances from labor migrants vary widely between provinces, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Nov. 2, calling for a review of how officials prepare citizens for better-paid jobs abroad.

Speaking at a meeting on labor migration, Mirziyoyev said average monthly remittances per person working abroad reach $1,850 in Fergana province. The figure is below $400 in Karakalpakstan and Tashkent province, below $500 in Syrdarya province, below $600 in Jizzakh and Navoi provinces and below $700 in Surkhandarya and Khorezm provinces.

He said the work of governors, ambassadors and heads of technical schools must be reviewed.

“In reality, a person should know in advance where he will work, what salary he will earn and who will protect his rights,” Mirziyoyev said.

He said about 168 million labor migrants work worldwide, and that matching them with demand abroad should be a priority for officials.

Uzbekistan now cooperates on organized labor migration with 27 countries, up from three, and with nearly 400 major foreign employers, he said. Over the past decade, the number of citizens working abroad has halved while remittances have quadrupled, which he said shows they increasingly work as skilled specialists.

According to the Central Bank, remittances from abroad reached $18.9 billion in 2025, up 28%. They totaled $9.3 billion in January-June 2026, up 13%, with the sharpest growth from Britain, at 62%. Russia remains a main destination for workers.

In April, officials told the president that about 1.2 million citizens work in nearly 40 countries and that foreign employers had requested more than 100,000 skilled specialists.