August manpower export hits year's low

The number of outbound workers hit eight-month low in August due to suspension of recruitment by some major markets, official data showed.

Only 32,272 Bangladeshis found jobs abroad in August this year, according to figures revealed by the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) on Thursday.

The August figure is the lowest in last eight months of this year.

On the other hand, a total of 417,084 workers found jobs in the eight months of this year. The number of outflow was 500,356 in the same period of 2018.

Sector insiders said a good number of destinations like the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Kuwait and Bahrain, remained close since long.

Besides, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have significantly reduced the recruitment of foreign workers. So, Bangladesh's overseas employment is facing a negative impact, they said.

They suggested exploring new markets and developing skilled workers to increase the jobs for workers abroad. The manpower receiving countries are gradually replacing skilled workers with less-skilled ones.

Meanwhile, Japan has become an attractive destination, they said, adding that Bangladesh should utilise the opportunity that have been created through signing the recent deal.

Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) president Benjir Ahmed at a recent meeting said the number of overseas employment has declined in the recent months, following slow demand of workers in the Middle Eastern countries.

He also urged the government to launch diplomatic efforts for opening the closed markets.

Saudi Arabia hired 234,017 workers from Bangladesh in the last eight months, followed by Oman 47,787 and Qatar 41,998. Bangladesh sends workers mainly to 20 destinations.

Bangladeshi nationals sent $3.08 billion in remittances home during the July-August period of the current fiscal year (2019-20), according to Bangladesh Bank data.

According to the BMET, over 12 million Bangladeshis went abroad since 1976.

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