Compared to 2010 the number of Tajik nationals seeking better employment opportunities abroad has decreased by 60 percent, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon stated at a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament on December 26.  

“In 2010, 1.1 million Tajik nationals went abroad seeking better employment opportunities.  This year, this figure has been only 486,000 people,” Rahmon noted. 

According to him, the decrease in the number of labor migrants has resulted from development of the national economy and creation of new job in the country.  

However, the president considers that it is not enough and ordered relevant bodies to take adequate measures to ensure creation of 100,000 new jobs per year in order to prevent the outflow of manpower abroad.

Meanwhile, labor migrants are still a critical component in the economy of Tajikistan and remittances keep many struggling families in the country above the poverty.