“We didn’t find anyone to work.” Labor shortage in Kyrgyzstan

by time news

The Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration reported that there is a shortage of labor in Kyrgyzstan. This problem is observed both in the city and in the countryside.

“Workers left for England”

A resident of Papan village government of Kara-Suu district Zair Nyshanov planted trees on three hectares of land using drip irrigation.

He said that his assistants, who had been working with him for several years and had taught him the secrets of gardening, had recently gone to Britain for agricultural work, and he was burdened alone.

“The garden is not very big. I was not a gardener myself, I planted apples, apricots, cherries, and peaches on three hectares of land using a drip irrigation method. I used to pay them. It’s a good salary in our country. But they left for England in the fall. Now I’m looking for someone to replace them. Believe me, there’s been no one suitable for six months. My villagers don’t want to work. Knowing the secret of drip-irrigated seedlings that produce crops in a few years, “I’m not sure I’ll find the best specialist to take care of them, but I still need to hire someone,” said Eldar.

Another resident of the same district Elmirbek Kasymov Every year, in addition to his share land, he leases and cultivates another three hectares of land.

A few years ago, he bought a tractor from Ayl Bank through leasing. He regretted that the profit he received from his cotton and corn cultivation every year was not enough to cover the cost of the tractor, and he said that he planned to come to Britain to work.

“You can make money here too. But little by little it will be spent here and there, and it will soon disappear. In recent years, everything from fuel, fertilizer, seeds, etc. has become more expensive. Even though I plow the land myself, when I plant, thresh, and then pick cotton there is no way to hire a man. Currently, a mandiker’s fee for a day is not less than one thousand soms. It is not possible to bring a man from Uzbekistan as easily as before. In addition, money is spent on children, housing, food, and socializing. Tractor It’s a machine, it breaks, it breaks down, you repair it, you oil it… As a result, there were days when the remaining money was not enough to pay off the loan for the tractor, and we had to sell the animals in the yard. In addition, the children are growing up. My wife and I have been living in a small two-room house for 15 years. “The big five-room house has walls and the roof is not finished, because we cannot raise money. We built that house after going to Russia for years.”

The lack of labor force is observed not only in rural areas of Kyrgyzstan, but also in large cities such as Bishkek and Osh.

Interest in working abroad has increased

Minister of Labour, Social Security and Migration Kudaibergen Bazarbayev according to There are enough jobs in Kyrgyzstan, but there are few people who can work there.

The minister noted that the unemployment rate will be 5.3% in 2022, which has decreased by 1.7% compared to the previous year.

Kudaibergen Bazarbaev

“Now new jobs are ready, but there are not enough workers. There is no one to work in the newly built textile factory in Osh. The salary is announced as from 20,000 soms to 60,000 soms. I myself am surprised by this. Currently, our ministry is hiring from four districts of Osh. , we intend to attract workers from Kadamzhai district and Kyzyl-Kiya city of Batken, as well as three or four other districts of Jalal-Abad region to that textile factory. In addition to salary, we are also considering providing them with accommodation. Our young people prefer to go to work in Russia or other foreign countries than to work at home. will see.”

Bazarbayev noted that agricultural specialists, fishermen, especially sewing workshops need workers. According to him, such poverty is high in Bishkek, Osh and Issyk-Kul.

According to the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration, as of January 1, 2023, more than 142,000 people are officially registered as unemployed in the country. Last year, the number of unemployed increased by 3.4%.

Kudaibergen Bazarbaev at the same time, he added that the request to increase the quota for foreign citizens to work in Kyrgyzstan has increased.

“This year, 16,600 quotas have been allocated for foreign citizens to work in Kyrgyzstan. Of these, 7,000 jobs have been filled. Labor quotas are often requested by companies cooperating with foreign or Kyrgyz businessmen. Their request to increase the quota will not be considered until our citizens are fully provided with work. Let’s face it, in Kyrgyzstan, there is a shortage of labor, not jobs.”

In the survey conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) last year on the social situation of Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz citizens (59%) identified unemployment as the most serious problem.

About a million of Kyrgyzstan’s population of more than 7 million are migrant workers in Russia.

The number of Kyrgyz migrants from Kyrgyzstan to South Korea, some European countries, and England for field and horticultural work has also increased.

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