Published
10/28/2025, 17:06The labour market in Kyrgyzstan remains concentrated in traditional sectors such as industry, trade and the public sector. According to data from the Eurasian Economic Commission for January–June, 621,400 people are employed in the country's economy (the number of jobs in organisations registered in the official economy), or 21.7% of the total workforce — the lowest figure among the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.
For comparison:
The largest number of Kyrgyz citizens are employed in industry (87,600), public administration and social protection (62,900), education (216,400) and healthcare (about 72,000).
There are 35,700 people working in trade and transport repair, 19,000 in transport and logistics, and 28,400 in finance and insurance. The lowest number of people are employed in arts, entertainment and recreation (14,300) and construction (14,300).
The structure of employment in Kyrgyzstan is closer to the Armenian model, with a strong dependence on industry and the public sector. While Kazakhstan and Russia are seeing growth in jobs in construction, transport and IT, Kyrgyzstan remains a country dominated by administrative and manufacturing labour.
For example, more than 1.25 million people are employed in construction in Russia, and 115,000 in Kazakhstan. Similarly, in the information and communications sector, there are 73,700 workers in Kazakhstan, 83,500 in Belarus, and 16,900 in Kyrgyzstan.
The low level of employment in the technology, services and culture sectors shows the limited nature of the labour market in Kyrgyzstan. The country maintains an industrial type of employment with a high share of the public sector. At the same time, the demand for qualified specialists in the digital and service economy is growing.
