As of September, 630,000 Pakistanis had registered for overseas employment in the current calendar year, the Department of Employment reported.
By the end of July, the count of Pakistanis who had already departed the country for employment had reached 540,282. This suggests that over 92,000 individuals left Pakistan in September alone in pursuit of job opportunities.
A closer examination of the statistics reveals that, during this period, 275,433 of these individuals were classified as laborers, while 141,282 were identified as drivers. The group of departing Pakistanis also included 6,351 engineers, 5,876 accountants, 2,580 doctors, and 1,194 teachers.
The data, categorized according to occupational groups, discloses that 17,058 were highly qualified, 35,414 were highly skilled, 232,933 were skilled, 65,922 were semi-skilled, and the majority, 281,781, were considered unskilled.
Keep in mind that these numbers only include people who officially registered with the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment.
Those going abroad for education or through different routes aren’t counted here.
Compared to previous years, 2023 is a standout year. Last year, 832,339 Pakistanis sought jobs abroad, the highest since 2016.
Saudi Arabia is the top choice for many, the United Arab Emirates comes next followed by Oman and Qatar (39,479).
Other countries like Malaysia, Bahrain, Romania, Greece, and Iraq have also attracted Pakistani workers.
