MP slams Employment Ministry as 74,000 budget-funded trainees remain jobless

Temirov stated that he had reviewed the ministry’s report and found that many of the tasks carried out were poorly implemented.

“The ministry’s primary role is to provide employment and lift people out of poverty. However, the figures in the report suggest otherwise. Around 74,000 citizens trained at vocational mono-centers – roughly 30 percent – have not been employed. Moreover, budget funds have been spent inefficiently. People are being trained, but they are either not being provided with jobs or not being trained in the right professions,” he said.

“What’s most troubling is that some centers in various districts are focused merely on meeting numerical targets. In reality, their goal should be to equip individuals with skills and ensure employment. It is unacceptable to waste state budget funds just to fulfill quotas. Why has the ministry failed to implement reforms all the way down to its lowest levels? If the ministry is preoccupied with ticking boxes, isn’t there a risk that the public will lose faith in the broader reforms led by the President? Why have the allocated funds been used ineffectively, and why has this not been addressed until now? Tomorrow, when MPs visit the regions, we will be held accountable by the public – we must have answers when they ask questions,” the MP emphasized.

In response, Deputy Minister of Employment Sirojiddin Bobokulov explained which professions had the highest rates of unemployment among trainees.

“According to the Presidential Decree dated October 4, 2024, the number of vocational skills schools under the ministry was reduced from 75 to 65. Analysis shows that in 2022, 2023, and the first half of 2024, 30 percent of those trained in vocational skills were not employed. The majority of them were trained in cooking, confectionery, and sewing. Most of the unemployed individuals were women. It was found that some had gotten married and relocated, others were busy caring for children at home, and many applied their skills not for income-generating work, but within their own households,” the deputy minister said.

He added that the ministry has since updated its training system. “Professions primarily used for household purposes have been removed from structured training programs. From now on, such training will only be conducted upon employer request – when there is a confirmed job placement available.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Employment reported that 868 workplace accidents occurred in Uzbekistan in 2024. As a result, 976 people were injured, including 261 fatalities, 685 serious injuries, and 30 minor injuries.