The number of Nepalis joining foreign jobs has set a new record of 55,347 departures in the 11th month of the current fiscal year, according to the Department of Foreign Employment. About 36,850 workers were fresh recruits, while 18,037 were returnee migrant workers, it said, revealing that about 51,764 Nepalis had gone abroad for employment a month back.

 

Qatar topped the list offering jobs to 14,378 Nepalis. Saudi Arabia toppled Malaysia as the second preferred destination by hiring 13,707 workers. Malaysia hired 12,945 Nepalis followed by the United Arab Emirates (7,151) and Kuwait (3,295). 

 

Besides the change in number of workers there has been no other significant development in job market. All job destinations have hired unskilled workers in the construction and manufacturing sectors. 

 

Other preferred destinations in the Persian Gulf are Bahrain and Oman. The destinations hired 692 and 500 Nepali foreign job aspirants respectively. Israel and Lebanon hired 112 and 63 returnee workers and most of them were women migrant workers. Japan and Macau hired 233 and 22 Nepalis respectively. About 141 Nepalis who went to Japan were returnee workers. South Korea hired 1,140 Nepalis under the Employment Permit System. 

 

In the euro zone, Portugal hired 27 Nepali migrant workers. No other European country showed interest in Nepali workers last month. Afghanistan hired 184 Nepalis. About 5,662 Nepali women joined foreign jobs in Jestha. Kuwait hired 1,777 Nepali women during the period followed by UAE (617), Malaysia (282), Qatar (163) and Bahrain (48). 

 

Among the 36,850 new migrant workers, 31,484 joined jobs through outsourcing agencies and 5,366 reached the destinations on their own contacts.