Over 0.630 million Pakistanis go abroad seeking employment

ISLAMABAD: In the initial nine months of 2023, more than 630,000 Pakistani individuals embarked on a quest for better employment opportunities abroad, as reported by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment.

According to the data released up until September, a total of 633,108 Pakistanis registered for employment overseas.

As of July, the count of Pakistanis departing the country was 540,282, indicating that during the month of September, more than 92,000 Pakistanis pursued employment opportunities abroad.

An analysis of the numbers reveals that among those leaving the country for work, 275,433 were labourers, while 141,282 were drivers. The departing workforce also included 6,351 engineers, 5,876 accountants, 2,580 doctors, and 1,194 teachers.

Among these individuals, 17,058 held higher education qualifications, 35,414 possessed exceptional skills, 232,933 were skilled workers, and 65,922 had moderate skills, with the majority—281,781—falling in the unskilled category.

Brain Drain: Over 90,000 Pakistanis left the country in Aug

Saudi Arabia attracted a substantial workforce with 302,634 individuals, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 173,561, Oman with 44,567, and Qatar with 44,777.

The list also included significant numbers relocating to other countries, such as Malaysia (18,609), Bahrain (9,599), Romania (4,405), Greece (2,676), and Iraq (2,646). This trend reflects the ongoing pursuit of global employment opportunities by a substantial portion of the Pakistani workforce.