Top 5 reasons companies choose an Employer of Record (EOR) in Uzbekistan
- Gegidze • გეგიძე | Marketing
- Aug 26
- 7 min read
Table of contents:
Introduction
You’ve identified a high-potential market. The talent is there, the wages are competitive, and the economy is growing faster than many of its neighbors.
But before you can even get your first hire on payroll, you’re buried in months of entity setup, legal paperwork, and compliance hurdles, all while your competitors start onboarding in weeks, not quarters.
That’s the hiring challenge in Uzbekistan right now.
It’s Central Asia’s fastest-reforming economy, with GDP growth forecasted at 5.3% for 2025 (World Bank) and a population of 36+ million, most of them young, educated, and digitally connected.
Salaries for engineers, finance specialists, and multilingual customer support staff can be 40–60% lower than EU or US averages, without sacrificing skill level.
The opportunity? Huge.
The roadblocks? Just as big if you go the traditional route. Setting up your own entity in Uzbekistan means 4–6 months of registration, licensing, bank account setup, and hiring compliance work, all before you even post your first job ad.
This is where an Employer of Record (EOR) in Uzbekistan changes the game.
With Team Up, you can hire in days, not months. We handle compliant payroll, taxes, benefits, contracts, and even visa and work permit support, so you can focus on building your team, not your bureaucracy.
If you’re serious about tapping into Uzbekistan’s skilled, cost-competitive workforce without the delays and risks of entity setup, EOR is your fastest, safest, and most cost-effective entry point.
Reason 1 – Skilled, cost-competitive talent pool
Uzbekistan doesn’t just have people looking for work; it has the right kind of people global companies want on their teams.
Engineering, IT, and energy sector expertise dominate the market, with professionals experienced in everything from industrial automation to full-stack software development. The country’s long history in the oil, gas, and logistics sectors means strong operational talent, while a growing BPO industry delivers multilingual customer support in English, Russian, and regional languages.
A STEM pipeline that actually delivers
Every year, universities like Tashkent University of Information Technologies and Turin Polytechnic University produce thousands of STEM-educated graduates. Many have exposure to international projects through donor-funded programs, tech incubators, or foreign-backed infrastructure developments.
Unlike some emerging markets, Uzbekistan’s higher education system is closely aligned with market demand, meaning graduates arrive with practical, employable skills.
The salary advantage
Hiring here can cut labor costs by 40–60% compared to EU or US averages, even at mid- to senior-level roles. You’re not paying less for less; you’re paying less for equally capable professionals who are used to working with international teams and tools.
Why EOR makes a difference
With an Employer of Record provider in Uzbekistan, you skip the entity setup and go straight to onboarding vetted talent. That means your first hire could be running their first sprint, drafting their first campaign, or closing their first client deal within days. Payroll, benefits, and compliance are handled locally, no guesswork, no risk.
Reason 2 – Strong economic growth and pro-business reforms
Uzbekistan isn’t a “maybe someday” economy; it’s one of the fastest-growing markets in Central Asia right now.
Growth that’s backed by hard numbers
The World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and IMF all project GDP growth of 5–6% for 2025–2026. That’s not a random spike; it’s sustained momentum driven by private investment, infrastructure expansion, and an aggressive modernization agenda.
For comparison, that’s nearly double the growth rate of the EU and outpaces many emerging Asian markets.
Reforms that make it easier to do business
The government has rolled out targeted reforms that actually matter to foreign employers:
Tax cuts for IT companies and exporters.
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) offer customs and tax exemptions.
Investment protection laws that align with international standards.
In other words, if you’re looking to scale, Uzbekistan’s playing offense, not defense.
A digital agenda with teeth
The “Digital Uzbekistan 2030” program isn’t just policy fluff. It’s a $2+ billion push to modernize broadband, digitize public services, and upskill the workforce in coding, cybersecurity, and digital project management.
This isn’t just about infrastructure, it’s about creating a future-ready talent pool that global companies can plug into.
Why EOR makes this even better
Pro-business reforms are great, but taking advantage of them usually means months of entity registration, local accounting, and HR compliance work.
With an Employer of Record, you skip straight to hiring and payroll, all compliant under Uzbek law from day one.
Reason 3 – Strategic location for Eurasian trade
If you drew a circle around the fastest-growing trade lanes in Eurasia, Uzbekistan would be right in the middle.
Geography that gives you reach
Uzbekistan sits at the crossroads of Central Asia, China, Russia, and the Middle East, making it a natural hub for companies looking to manage supply chains, service multiple markets, or build regional operations. From Tashkent, you can reach over 2 billion consumers within a 4-hour flight radius — something few emerging markets can claim.
Infrastructure built for movement
The country is doubling down on logistics:
International rail corridors like the Trans-Afghan Railway and the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan route are opening new trade arteries.
Navoi International Airport is expanding its air cargo capacity, positioning itself as a Central Asian freight hub.
Modern logistics parks in Tashkent and Samarkand are reducing shipping times and costs for regional distribution.
According to the World Bank’s transport analysis, these upgrades could cut cross-border delivery times by up to 30%, a big deal if your operations depend on speed.
Why it’s ideal for team hubs
Regional HQs don’t have to be in high-cost capitals like Dubai or Singapore. With its location and cost structure, Uzbekistan can act as a central command post for teams serving markets from Eastern Europe to South Asia.
EOR makes the test-and-scale model possible
The catch? Expanding across multiple jurisdictions in the region usually means opening multiple entities, a compliance headache that kills agility. With an Employer of Record, you can:
Hire in Uzbekistan within days
Manage payroll, taxes, and benefits locally
Scale your headcount up or down without dissolving entities
Reason 4 – Stable, improving labor market
Not long ago, Uzbekistan’s job market was all over the place, too many workers, not enough quality roles.
Fast forward to now, and the script is flipping. Unemployment has dropped from double digits a few years back to around 8% in 2024 (World Bank).
That’s not just a stat on a chart; it’s proof that the market is maturing, industries are diversifying, and skilled professionals are sticking around because there are finally opportunities worth staying for.
Why that matters for you
In places like Berlin, London, or San Francisco, turnover can feel like a revolving door; today’s star hire is tomorrow’s “goodbye email.”
In Uzbekistan, things look different. Professionals who land a solid job don’t jump ship every six months. They value stability. For you, that means less money spent rehiring, retraining, and rebuilding teams.
Instead, you get long-term partnerships with employees who actually want to grow with your company.
The remote-ready factor
Here’s another shift: remote work isn’t some shiny new thing here; it’s becoming standard. Uzbek developers, designers, and finance pros already know their way around Slack, Jira, and Zoom.
They’re not intimidated by international projects.
And unlike in past years, where top talent would pack their bags for Moscow or Berlin, remote opportunities now keep them right where they are, plugged into their communities but working globally.
That’s a win-win: they stay, you hire.
How EOR makes this easy
Here’s where an Employer of Record (EOR) changes the game.
You get the payroll, benefits, contracts, and compliance handled locally (so you don’t have to untangle Uzbek labor law at 2 a.m.).
Employees get the security of knowing their benefits and taxes are legit, which keeps them loyal. You get a stable, motivated team. They get peace of mind. Everyone sleeps better.
Reason 5 – Cost-efficient, flexible market entry with EOR
Here’s the blunt truth: setting up a legal entity in Uzbekistan takes 4–6 months, thousands of dollars in registration and legal fees, plus ongoing accounting and compliance overhead.
By the time you’re done, your competitors who used an Employer of Record (EOR) already have teams working, deadlines met, and clients billed. Speed matters, and in this case, speed also saves money.
With an EOR, onboarding talent isn’t a half-year saga. It’s a matter of days. You find the professional you need, and the EOR gets them onto compliant payroll with contracts, benefits, and taxes handled locally. No government red tape. No lost opportunities while you wait for paperwork.
Compliance without the migraines
If you’ve ever tried to navigate foreign labor laws, you know it feels like a maze designed by someone who really doesn’t want you to succeed.
Payroll regulations, tax filings, mandatory benefits, miss one step and you’re staring at penalties or worse.
That’s where an EOR pays for itself.
Payroll? Done.
Benefits? Covered.
Taxes? Filed. Contracts?
Compliant.
Instead of hiring a whole legal team, you plug into a system that already works. Your employees feel secure, and you don’t spend your nights Googling “labor code Uzbekistan” like it’s a new hobby.
Scaling without the baggage
Business priorities change.
Sometimes you’re growing fast, sometimes you’re tightening budgets. With your own entity, scaling down means costly restructuring or shutting down a branch entirely.
With an EOR, it’s flexible. Add five engineers this quarter, reduce headcount the next, test a new customer support team, no lawyers, no dissolutions, no wasted money.
Conclusion
By now, the picture is clear. Uzbekistan is not some “maybe in the future” hiring market — it’s already ticking the right boxes:
Skilled, cost-competitive professionals ready to plug into global projects.
A growing economy and reform-driven government are making the market business-friendly.
A strategic location that connects you to Central Asia, Russia, China, and the Middle East.
A stable, improving labor market with loyal, remote-ready professionals.
And a cost-efficient way in through EOR, giving you speed and flexibility without legal headaches.
So, what’s the smartest way forward? You could spend months wrestling with entity setup, or you could onboard your first employee in days, fully compliant, with payroll, taxes, and benefits handled by people who know the local rules inside out.
That’s the value of an Employer of Record, and that’s what Team Up does best.
