Meager rise in overseas employment

Meager rise in overseas employment
eKantipur.com, 29-May-2007

The number of workers leaving the country for overseas employment has increased by a meager 3.22 percent during the ten months of 2006/07 compared to same period of last fiscal year.

According to data of Department of Labor and Employment Promotion (DoLEP), a total of 154,940 Nepalis went for foreign employment in 19 countries during the period, as against 150,106 of the corresponding period last year.

However, number of Nepalis leaving for jobs in Malaysia and Qatar, the two most popular labor destinations for Nepali workers, recorded a double-digit decline compared to the same period last year.

The DoLEP data shows, a total of 59,454 Nepalis left for Malaysian jobs during the period. The number was a 14.49 percent decline compared to that of the same period of last fiscal year.

Number of people leaving for jobs in Qatar dropped by about 17 percent and remained at 42,320 during the period.

Officials attributed the labor export decline to Malaysia and Qatar to decline in demand for workers. "Situation like this emerges at times. There is no serious reason behind it," said Keshar Bahadur Pandey, director general of the department.

Saudi Arabia, the third major destination, witnessed two-fold rise in number of Nepali workers arrivals. The number of Nepali workers leaving for jobs in Saudi reached 28,922 during the first ten months of the current fiscal year, whereas it was 13,501 in the same period last year.

Likewise, 1,735 Nepalis left for jobs in Kuwait during the period. The figure was nearly double the figure recorded during the same period last year.

Number of Nepalis leaving for jobs in UAE went up by about 33 percent and touched 18,325. Also, 1,805 Nepalis left for jobs in Bahrain during the period.

The numbers of workers leaving for Israel, the most popular destination of Nepali women workers, on the other hand, nosedived to 436 from 824 of the same period last year.

Government officials attributed the decline in the number of workers heading for Israel to Israeli government's decision to stop issuing fresh visas to Nepali workers effective from May 1, 2007.

Month-wise labor export data shows that number of Nepalis going for overseas job dropped to 18,153 in mid-April to mid-May, the tenth month of the fiscal year.