Nepali overseas workers double in five years

KATHMANDU, July 21 - In what may be termed an indication of growing unemployment in the country, the number of Nepali youths moving out for overseas jobs has more than doubled over the past five years.
Slim employment opportunities and greater access to labor destinations amid sprouting manpower agencies has contributed to the soaring number of workers leaving for overseas jobs.

The number of Nepalis going for foreign employment has grown at double-digit steadily over this period. In the fiscal year 2007/08, which ended last week, the number of overseas job goers grew by 20 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year. Statistics of Department of Labor shows that a total of 239,637 Nepali job seekers left for different destinations - mostly for blue-collar work - during the year. The number was 199,191 during the fiscal year 2006/07. Only 106,660 workers in total had left for foreign jobs in fiscal year 2003/04. Officials attribute such a remarkable growth of overseas employment to the positive impact of labor pacts signed by Nepal with four recipient countries.

Over the last two years, Nepal has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Korea, Qatar and Bahrain to ensure greater rights of Nepali workers there.
As a result of labor agreements and change in working environment, the preferences regarding different destinations have also changed over the period. Qatar became the most favored destination for Nepali workers during the last fiscal year receiving 85,411 workers , 47 percent up from the number recorded during a year earlier. Data shows, Malaysia became the second largest country from most preferred destination in the last fiscal year. It received only 50,526 Nepali workers, which was about 28 percent less than the previous fiscal year. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia also witnessed double digit growth in the arrival of Nepali workers. However, more than 93 percent of the total outgoing workers are concentrated on the largest four recipients due to lack of diversification of labor destinations.

"Lack of employment opportunities within the country has drive up the number of Nepali workers seeking overseas jobs even for meager remuneration," Dilli Ram Sharma, director of Department of Labor and Employment Promotion (DoLEP) told the Post. "Increasing personal access to the outer world has also helped in finding overseas jobs in recent years, said Sharma.