The number of outbound Nepali workers has jumped by a whopping 24 percent in the first ten months of 2009/10 (mid-July to mid-May), thanks to soaring demands from key labor destinations.
According to Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), a total of 231,992 Nepali workers, including 9,425 female, left for greener pastures abroad during the period, up from 187,063 recorded during the same period a year earlier. Of the total workers, 175,966 left for foreign jobs through institutional channel, while the remaining left through personal contacts.
Foreign employment agencies said gradual improvement in demands for workers from overseas destinations contributed to the rise in the number of Nepali workers.
“The number of overseas workers has increased due to impressive demands from recipient countries -- mainly Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar,” said Gyan Prasad Gaire, vice president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA).
During the review period, a total of 82,927 workers left for Malaysia -- the second largest destination for Nepali workers -167 percent more than the figure of same period last year. Saudi Arabia, the largest destination for Nepali workers, received 50,085 workers during the period, up from 41,883 recorded last year.
The number of Nepali workers leaving for UAE rose to 28,356 in the review period from 26,737. However, departures to Qatar - the third largest labor destination for the country - dropped to 47,675 from 65,131.
Under monthly review, departures marginally declined to 29,140 during mid-April to mid-May from 29,555 recorded a month earlier.
Malaysia was the most popular job destination for Nepali workers during the month, as the South East Asian nation received 14,051 Nepali workers in the review period. Similarly, Qatar and Saudi Arabia stood second and third respectively with 5,140 and 5,804 workers, up from 4,957 and 4,830 recorded in the previous month.
However, the number of workers leaving for UAE dropped to 2,728 from 3,062.