Data compiled by Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) shows that the number of Nepalis leaving for overseas jobs rose to 202,794 during the period this year from 171,244 during the same period last year. [break]
Of the total Nepali workers who left of foreign jobs, 193,466 are male and 9,328 are female. During the period, 152,216 and 50578 workers went for jobs abroad through institutional and individual channels respectively.
Foreign Employment agents said the number went up as the most of the overseas employers are demanding more workers for more production due to increasing demands of goods in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.
“Trends of increasing demands will continue until mid-July as this period is also leisure period for agriculture farming when more workers go to manpower agencies for foreign jobs,” Kumud Khanal, general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) told myrepublica.com.
However, he said shortage of passports has begun to hamper the recruitment process for foreign workers. “Some of the manpower agencies have failed to send the workers on time due lack of easy availability of passports,” he added.
During the last nine months, number of workers flying to Malaysia -- the second largest destination for Nepali workers -- increased to 68,876, up by over 100 percent as compared to 31,513 recorded last year. Similarly, Saudi Arabia -- the largest home to Nepali migrants -- took in 44,281 Nepali workers during the review period, up from 34,586 last year.
However, number of workers leaving for Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) decreased to 42,535 and 25,628 from 58,495 and 25,875 last year respectively.
Number of workers heading for foreign jobs has touched an all time high to reach 29,555 during the month between mid-March and Mid-April, up from 21,158 recorded during mid-February to mid-March. Last time, the highest number of overseas departures of 26,000 workers took place during mid-January and mid-February.
Qatar and Malaysia received 4,957 and 14,041 workers during mid-March to mid-April from 4124 and 8541 previous months respectively. Likewise, workers preferring to go to the UAE and Saudi Arabia have increased to 3,062 and 4,830 from 2,446 and 4,141 over the review period respectively.
Related story
38 stranded Nepali workers in Saudi Arabia to get new jobs
