The number of sending skilled Bangladeshi workers abroad is increasing. 13 thousand accountants migrated from Bangladesh in the first six months of the year. Through this, this profession has come up in the list of top 10 jobs for Bangladeshi migrant workers.
'Ami Pravasi' is a Bangladeshi digital platform working to increase transparency in immigration, reduce immigration costs and speed up the immigration process. This information has emerged in a semi-annual report recently published by 'Ami Pravasi' on migrant workers. According to the same report, Saudi Arabia is the most preferred destination for Bangladeshi immigrants.
According to the report, more than 5 lakh workers have gone abroad for employment between January and June 2024. Out of this, 250,000 workers have chosen Saudi Arabia as their preferred destination. Saudi policymakers' heavy focus on local infrastructure development has led to an increase in both skilled and unskilled job opportunities, making Saudi Arabia a promising destination.
Malaysia ranks second in this list with 93,000 working migrants. Qatar ranked third, with 39,517 workers leaving for work during this period. The report of I Pravasi has also given detailed information about the type of work of these workers. About 80 percent of the workers fall in the 'general' category, numbering about 150,000. General category includes both skilled and unskilled jobs. In second place is construction, where 63 thousand 469 migrant workers have been employed. Factory work ranks third with 33,748 workers.
The first half of the report also states that 10.4 percent of total migrant workers are skilled, of which 3.2 percent are skilled professionals, such as software developers. The remaining 7 percent are unskilled migrants. This shift from unskilled to skilled migration is a positive development for Bangladesh in the global labor market. Historically known for exporting unskilled labor, the country's labor force is becoming more skilled and versatile. This has been possible due to increased investment in education and proper training. This change augurs well for the future of Bangladesh's labor market, giving hope to policymakers, researchers and those interested in the labor market.
