Labor market in Kyrgyzstan

The labor market in Kyrgyzstan is called рынок труда in Russian and эмгек рыногу in Kyrgyz. It includes formal and informal employment, vacancies, jobseekers, wages, qualifications, recruitment and movement between regions or countries. The National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic measures broad labor-market conditions, while the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration and regional employment services support jobseekers, training and placement. In 2024, the labor force aged 15 and above was about 2.9 million people. Approximately 2.8 million were employed and more than 104,000 were unemployed. The employment rate was about 57 percent; it was approximately 72 percent for men and 43 percent for women. Survey-based unemployment was 3.7 percent, down by 0.4 percentage points from 2023. Registered unemployment measures a different group: in 2025, about 56,500 people were registered as jobless and 38,100 held official unemployed status, corresponding to a registered unemployment rate of 1.4 percent. These figures describe different groups and periods. Informal work is a major part of employment. About 65 percent of employed people worked in the informal sector. Official wage statistics mainly cover employees in the organized sector, so they do not describe every worker’s actual income. Kyrgyzstan had approximately 459,200 individual entrepreneurs on 1 January 2024. Small and medium-sized enterprises employed about 114,000 people, or 4.2 percent of employment in the reported measure. Formal employment is governed by the Labor Code of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 23 dated 23 January 2025. Informal work can provide income but may offer less documented protection and fewer verifiable employment records. Agriculture accounted for about 16 percent of employment in 2024. Detailed 2023 shares included agriculture at 17.1 percent, wholesale and retail trade at 15.8 percent, construction at 12.5 percent, manufacturing at 10.9 percent, education at 9.8 percent, transport and storage at 8.4 percent, hospitality at 6.7 percent, health and social work at 4.4 percent and public administration at 4.1 percent. Demand signals included construction trades, drivers, service workers, tailors, computer specialists, teachers and health workers. A qualification may come through formal education, ministry-supported training, retraining or upskilling, or practical and informal learning. From January to November 2024, 7,380 jobseekers were sent to vocational training in 127 occupations. Vacancies are strongly concentrated in cities and vary by date. In July 2025, registered vacancies included 4,595 in Bishkek, 780 in Osh, 600 in Batken, 539 in Issyk-Kul, 358 in Osh oblast, 276 in Chuy, 230 in Naryn, 168 in Jalal-Abad and 144 in Talas. The same data listed 5,282 worker vacancies and 2,408 service vacancies, for 7,690 registered vacancies. A January 2026 snapshot showed 5,547 vacancies. These figures describe registered demand only, because informal hiring and unregistered vacancies are not fully captured. In May 2025, 8,844 vacancies remained unfilled against 12,411 listed vacancies, indicating a mismatch between available skills and employer demand. The average monthly nominal wage was 36,047 KGS in 2024, up 14.1 percent from the previous year. Reported regional averages ranged from 44,074 KGS in Bishkek and 41,084 KGS in Issyk-Kul to 25,200 KGS in Osh oblast and 26,662 KGS in Batken. Other reported averages were 35,205 KGS in Naryn, 34,068 KGS in Talas, 31,229 KGS in Jalal-Abad, 30,039 KGS in Osh city and 27,819 KGS in Chuy. The reported average for small and medium-sized enterprises was 31,535 KGS. Women’s average wage was about 69 percent of men’s, and the employed-poverty rate was 17.3 percent. Regional and sector differences make a national average unsuitable for estimating a particular job’s pay. Jobseekers can register online through the Labour Market Information System or through a regional employment office. The public services include jobseeker registration, vacancy information, employer information and access to training. The main online services include zanyatost.kg and Электронная биржа труда. The public sources consulted did not establish a fee for portal access. Vacancy numbers and wage data are updated at different intervals, with annual labor-force surveys and monthly vacancy and wage updates, so the publication date should be checked when comparing figures. The labor market also includes work abroad. In 2024, the external migration balance was positive by 11,208 people, although this figure was not limited to labor migration. The Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad placed 4,293 citizens, while private agencies reported 16,204 placements through 197 agencies in 29 countries. In the first half of 2025, the Center reported 14,010 placements through 192 agencies in 29 countries. Reported destinations included the United Kingdom, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan and Germany. The Korean employment pathway was described as three years with an option for one additional year and ten months. Citizens seeking overseas work should use the Center or an authorized private agency, verify the agency through migrant.kg, and check the written contract, work permit, recruiter and destination-country conditions. Fees, selection times, visa terms and other costs depend on the destination and agency. Foreign workers in Kyrgyzstan are subject to sector and regional quotas under Cabinet order No. 690-r of 2024. Labor migration figures and overseas placements are not the same as the domestic employment total.