Over the first nine months of this year, 49,000 people in Tajikistan have been officially registered as unemployed, which is 1.8% of the working-age population, according to the Ministry of Labor , Migration and Employment of the Population (MoLMEP).
An official source at MoLMEP says this figure is based on citizens' requests to employment and labor authorities, according to the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Tajikistan, as reported to Asia-Plus.
Over the reporting period, 112,515 people have contacted labor and employment agencies, an increase of 3.3% from the same period last year. The main reasons for seeking assistance were help with job placement, professional retraining, and education.
The source noted that according to the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Tajikistan’s Law on Employment Promotion (2003), an unemployed person is any working-age individual who currently lacks employment or income-generating activities but is actively seeking and ready to accept a job. If even one of these criteria is not met, the individual is not considered unemployed—they are either engaged in income-generating activities or are not part of the “labor force” (economically inactive).
The source further said that under the State Employment Promotion Program for 2023-2027, labor authorities aim to place 355,000 people in jobs. "For the first nine months, the program was 93% fulfilled, which speaks to its high effectiveness," the source added.
While the Ministry of Labor did not provide specific data on job placements over the same nine-month period, it reported that as of October 1, 2024, 63,831 individuals have been employed under the state program, a 1.7% increase from January-September last year.
Additionally, during the first nine months of this year, 70,250 people completed short-term professional training courses and competency recognition procedures through labor and employment agencies. Of these, 45,188 received training at adult learning centers operated by the Labor and Employment Agency.
The country reportedly continues to work actively to reduce unemployment levels and improve labor market conditions by creating additional opportunities for employment and professional development for citizens.
