More than 20,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan officially found jobs abroad in 2024. Esenbek Ergeshov, the chief specialist at the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad under the Ministry of Labor, said on the air of Birinchi Radio.
According to him, with the support of the center, more than 4,000 citizens were employed, including 3,800 in the United Kingdom and over 400 in South Korea. Additionally, private employment agencies helped in employment of more than 16,000 people. The main destinations are Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.
«Given that many of our citizens are returning en masse from neighboring countries, we need to either employ them in the country or find alternative options abroad. Of course, we can’t immediately employ everyone here, so we are looking for new labor markets,» Esenbek Ergeshov said.
For example, he noted that the UK government issues 45,000 work quotas annually, with around 10,000 of them going to Kyrgyzstanis. These workers are primarily employed in agriculture (picking strawberries, tomatoes, and cabbage). From April 2025, the minimum wage in the UK will rise by 80 pence, reaching £12.20 per hour.
He added that an agreement was signed last year with a Slovak company ready to initially hire bus drivers.
«50 candidates have been selected so far, and we will announce another round of registration. About 30 drivers will be chosen from them. We have also started employing workers in Italy. As a trial, under the agreement, we want to send three people to work in livestock farming on the island of Sardinia. If they like it, we will increase the number. There is an option to bring family members, and the age range is from 20 to 50 years. In addition, we’ve begun cooperating with Turkey — previously, people were mainly sent there through private employment agencies,» he explained.
Esenbek Ergeshov emphasized that the center conducts pre-departure orientations, informing workers about personal safety, labor regulations, and workplace safety, while also providing emergency contacts. He urged citizens to work diligently, responsibly, and to return home safely, keeping in mind future groups of job seekers.
Currently, there are 197 private employment agencies in Kyrgyzstan engaged in employment of citizens abroad.
