Overseas employment rises 28% in Nov amid Saudi backlog clearance
Saudi Arabia recruited 64,605 workers, retaining its position as the largest destination. This marks a 28% rise from October
Highlights:
- November outflow still 3% lower year-on-year
- Nearly 1 lakh Bangladeshis secure jobs abroad in November
- Saudi Arabia recruits 64,605 workers last month
- Skill Verification Program slowdown gradually eases
- Recruitment in Qatar, Singapore and Kuwait remains low
- Remittances jump YoY 31% to $2.89bn in November
Overseas employment from Bangladesh increased 28% in November compared to the previous month, driven mainly by backlog clearance in the Saudi market following recent changes in skills requirements, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
However, the November figure is 3% lower than the same month last year.
Labour recruiters said the growth is linked to the ongoing clearance of applications affected by the Saudi Skill Verification Programme (SVP), known as Takamul.
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The programme made skills certification mandatory for low-skilled workers, slowing recruitment earlier in the year.
BMET data shows that Bangladesh sent 99,874 workers abroad in November, up from 78,027 in October.
Saudi Arabia recruited 64,605 workers, retaining its position as the largest destination. This marks a 28% rise from October.
Shamim Hossain Chowdhury, former secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), said the slowdown occurred due to the implementation of the certification.
"BMET is now increasing its capacity to conduct tests under Takamul. That's why the backlog is being cleared gradually," he said.
Saudi Arabia recently introduced the mandatory SVP for low-skilled workers, creating new hurdles for overseas employment.
However, the requirement has been temporarily relaxed for certain categories, such as cleaners, following requests from Bangladesh.
According to unofficial estimates, the country hosts more than 3.2 million Bangladeshi workers, most of whom are in low-skilled jobs.
Over 80% of these workers are employed in low-skilled jobs such as cleaning, construction, and domestic work, typically earning around Tk30,000 per month.
At present, 26 technical training centres (TTCs) in Bangladesh are authorised to conduct SVP tests across 73 trades, while BMET operates around 110 TTCs nationwide. BMET conducted around 52,000 tests in September.
Recruitment in other major destinations still low
Recruitment in Qatar, Singapore, the Maldives, and Kuwait ranged from 2,996 to 9,160 workers in November.
Labour migration to traditional markets such as Malaysia, Oman, and Bahrain remains largely suspended.
Before the pandemic, Bangladesh sent 60,000–70,000 workers per month, a figure that has risen to nearly 100,000 per month in recent years.
Among European destinations, Portugal and Italy recruited over 700 workers each last month, while other European countries hired smaller numbers.
Remittances rise sharply
Expatriates sent $2.89 billion in remittances in November, up 31.37% from $2.20 billion in the same month last year.
According to Bangladesh Bank, November recorded the third-highest remittance inflow this year, following $2.56 billion in October.
Bank officials said the rise is linked to a decline in hundi operations and a more stable dollar rate.
They noted that the gap between open market and banking channel rates — previously Tk5–Tk7 — has narrowed significantly since the change in government.
