Overseas employment from Bangladesh surged by 28% in November, primarily due to the clearance of backlogs in the Saudi market post-skill requirement changes. However, this growth is still 3% lower than the previous year's November figures. Despite the recent relaxation of the Saudi Skill Verification Programme (SVP) for certain categories, such as cleaners, the program's implementation earlier in the year caused a slowdown in recruitment. The November figure of 99,874 workers sent abroad is a significant increase from October's 78,027, with Saudi Arabia recruiting 64,605 workers, the highest among all destinations. This surge is attributed to the increased capacity of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) to conduct tests under the SVP. The remittances from expatriates jumped by 31% to $2.89 billion in November, marking the third-highest remittance inflow this year. Labour migration to traditional markets like Malaysia, Oman, and Bahrain remains suspended, while recruitment in Qatar, Singapore, the Maldives, and Kuwait is still low. The country hosts over 3.2 million Bangladeshi workers, most in low-skilled jobs, earning around Tk30,000 per month. The SVP's impact on low-skilled workers is a key factor in the employment landscape, and its temporary relaxation for certain categories is a notable development.
