Rise in Uzbekistan’s construction sector may reduce emigration to Russia

Alisher Roziyev, the head of the department at the Agency for External Labor Migration, noted that the flow of labor migrants to Russia could decrease in the future, writes Kommersant.

Roziyev highlighted that currently, the construction sector in Uzbekistan is rapidly developing, and the wages for some projects can compete with those in the Russian Federation.

"Today, there is an acceleration in construction works in Uzbekistan, and naturally, our wages are on par with some projects in the Russian Federation... Therefore, it is possible that this situation could lead to a trend in the reduction of our citizens going to the Russian Federation," he said during a video conference dedicated to labor migration issues.

According to Roziyev, workers at some major construction sites in Uzbekistan can earn around $500-$600 per month. "Consequently, it will no longer be financially beneficial to go to the Russian Federation for such wages," he added.

He also emphasized that in the last two years, the agency has significantly expanded the geography of employment for citizens abroad, particularly given the demand for labor in Europe.

In early June, Sherzod Asadov, the press secretary of the President of Uzbekistan, reported that the number of Uzbek labor migrants in Russia had decreased from 4-6 million to 1 million over the last eight years. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his visit to Uzbekistan at the end of May, mentioned the same figure. He noted that Russia appreciates the contribution of migrants to economic development and is making every effort to create decent working conditions for them.