Pakistan Faces 5.9 Million Unemployed as Government Banks on Overseas Jobs to Ease Labour Crisis
Islamabad: Pakistan’s unemployment crisis has come under fresh scrutiny after the government disclosed that 5.9 million people are unemployed in the country, with the national unemployment rate standing at 7.1 percent, while current overseas employment demand is only around 140,688 vacancies. The figures, shared in the Senate question answer session, expose the wide gap between domestic joblessness and available foreign employment opportunities, raising serious questions over whether overseas migration alone can absorb Pakistan’s growing workforce.
The data was provided by Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain in response to a question by Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood. The ministry stated that unemployment figures are based on the Pakistan Labour Force Survey, while records of employed Pakistanis who migrate on work visas are maintained through protector registration.
The government’s reply acknowledged that employment generation is a broad and cross cutting challenge linked to industrial growth, agriculture, technology, education, health, climate related sectors and the service economy. It said sustainable job creation requires coordination among several ministries, private sector support and policy coherence.
However, the response placed major emphasis on overseas employment as a key tool for reducing domestic unemployment, increasing remittances and supporting economic development. The Ministry said its attached departments, including the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment and the Overseas Employment Corporation, are working to regulate, facilitate and expand foreign job placements for Pakistani workers.
According to the official reply, the current overseas employment demand stands at approximately 140,688 vacancies. Of these, 133,730 vacancies are through Overseas Employment Promoters, while 6,958 are through the Overseas Employment Corporation, covering countries including Oman, Maldives, Qatar, South Korea and Italy.
The figures show that Saudi Arabia remains the largest destination for Pakistani manpower. Workforce deployment to Saudi Arabia increased from 452,562 to 530,256, while Pakistan’s participation in a major human resources expo in Riyadh resulted in 37 Letters of Intent. The government said more than 55 percent of Pakistan’s overseas workforce is deployed to Saudi Arabia.
Qatar has also emerged as a major destination, with record deployment of 68,376 Pakistani workers. The ministry said Pakistani missions are engaging with Qatar’s Ministry of Labour and private employers, including major companies, to promote demand-driven recruitment and professional placements, especially in sectors such as healthcare.
Japan has shown growth as well, with placements increasing from 1,518 to 2,210 across IT, manufacturing, healthcare and technical trades. The government said Japan has agreed to conduct Specified Skilled Worker tests in Pakistan, while efforts are underway to expand Japanese language training and vocational preparation for Pakistani workers.
Italy has been presented as a major new European pathway after a labour mobility agreement allocated an annual quota of around 3,500 Pakistani workers, covering agriculture, construction, healthcare, hospitality, logistics and ICT. The total quota for the covered period is around 10,500 workers, while a high level committee has been formed to improve quota utilization.
The government also reported progress in Greece, where Pakistani worker registrations reached 3,367, showing a 126 percent increase over the previous year. More than 8,300 Pakistani nationals have also been regularized under a legalization scheme, enabling access to formal employment and increased remittance flows.
Spain is another important case, where authorities announced regularization of approximately 500,000 undocumented individuals, including around 15,000 Pakistanis. The Pakistani mission is facilitating documentation to help them enter the formal economy and access legal employment.
The government said it is also pursuing labour cooperation and market access in Iraq, Malaysia, Oman and the United States. In Malaysia, despite a general hiring freeze, targeted recruitment of 1,100 workers in East Malaysia was reported, while efforts are continuing in new sectors including security services, domestic work and IT.
The ministry said skills development remains central to expanding overseas employment. It said NAVTTC, TEVTA and technical institutes are being engaged to align Pakistani workers with international standards in construction, healthcare, IT and engineering.
The issue was raised in the Senate by Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, who sought details of unemployed and underemployed persons in the country and the steps being taken by the government to create new job opportunities at home and abroad.
Read in Urdu: پاکستان میں 59 لاکھ بے روزگار، حکومت کی توجہ بحران کم کرنے کے لیے بیرون ملک ملازمتوں پر مرکوز
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