The workforce in Uzbekistan in January-March 2007, according to estimation, increased by 2.6% as compared to January-March 2006 and made up approx. 15 million persons or 56.4% of the average number of the resident population.

According to data of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, as compared to the corresponding period of 2006 the economically active population increased by 3.1% and was 10.4 million persons, of which 99.8% (10.3 million persons) were engaged in the economy.

The growth in number of employed occurred due to increase of persons engaged in the non-production sphere by 4.4%, in branches of material production - by 2.6%.

The main part of employed (66.2%) falls upon branches of material production where the most growth in number of employed was observed in trade, catering, sale and procurements (by 6.2%), construction (by 5.7%), transport and communication (by 4.3%), industry (by 4%).

The share of employed in the non-state sector increased from 76.9% in January-March 2006 to 77.2% in January-March 2007.

In January-March of the reporting year 100,400 persons applied to labor agencies for employment, which is 0.2% more than in January-March 2006. The level of persons applied to labor agencies for employment is the highest in Ferghana region (15% of total persons applied to labor agencies for employment), Samarkand region (12.2%) and Namangan region (10.4%).

Out of the total number of citizens who applied to labor agencies for employment 82,500 persons (82.2% of total persons applied for employment) were provided with employment which is 2.6% more than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Out of the total number of persons who were provided with employment 49.9% are persons at the age from 16 to 30 years old.

As of the end of March 2007 the number of citizens registered through labor agencies as those who are looking for a job was 29,200 (33,500 as of the end of March 2006).

As of the end of March 2007 the greatest number of citizens registered through labor agencies as those who are looking for a job was marked in the Republic of Karakalpakstan – 3,600 (or 12.3% of the total number of persons who applied to labor agencies for employment as a whole by the republic), Khorezm region – 3,300 (11.3%).

As of the end of March 2007 out of the total number of citizens registered through labor agencies as those who are looking for a job 24,400 persons (83.5% of total persons applied for employment) were recognized as unemployed.

In the first quarter 2007 the implementation of adopted goal-oriented complex programs for development of services, agriculture and domestic labor made it possible to create 150,000 new workplaces. Out of the total number of newly created workplaces 71.6% (107,300 workplaces) belong to the rural area.