Report by Engineering Post
Expatriate Pakistanis are playing an important and crucial role by sending much needed remittances back home to their families in Pakistan which majorly was contributing to capital inflows into the country. These remittances by Overseas Pakistanis in a quite commendable and appreciable manner are serving as a vital source of income for many households in Pakistan, contributing to poverty alleviation, improving the living standards, and stimulating consumption.
Since 1972, more than 14.22 million Pakistanis have proceeded abroad for employment in over 50 countries around the globe through official procedures till March 2025.
More than 96 percent of Pakistan’s registered workers for overseas employment were reported to have opted for Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) . They were contributing in the development of Pakistan’s economy by sending remittances, which was a major source of foreign exchange after exports.
During 2024, the Bureau of Emigration and the Overseas Emigration and the Overseas Employment Corporation, two main federal government agencies for overseas employment through proper official channels, had registered 727381 workers for overseas employment. More than 62 percent (452562) of Pakistani workers had moved to Saudi Arabia for employment, followed by Oman 11 percent to earn a living. UAE employed 64130 (9 percent) Pakistani workers while Qatar offered jobs to 40818 individuals (6 percent), Bahrain and Malaysia hosted 25198 workers(3 percent) and 5799 workers (1 percent) respectively.
The skill composition of Pakistani emigrants in 2024 continued to be dominated by unskilled and semi-skilled labour, with relatively low representation from highly qualified and highly skilled professionals. According to the available data, 50 percent (366092) of emigrants fell under the unskilled while 35 percent (255706) were skilled workers.
Although there had been a slight decline compared to 2023, unskilled labour remained in high demand globally, particularly in communication, domestic work and agriculture sectors.
In order to meet the evolving needs of the international job markets, upskilling and certification of the workforce was Pakistan’s critical priority. In his regard, according to the experts, institutions .like NAVTEC , TEVTAs, and other vocational training bodies have a vital role to play in producing a skilled, competitive and internationally employable workforce.
