ISLAMABAD: In just the first six months of this year, nearly 337,000 Pakistanis have left the country in search of employment abroad, official data reveals.
According to figures shared by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) – an attached department of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development – a total of 336,999 Pakistanis proceeded overseas for work between January 1 and June 30, 2025.
A senior official at BEOE said that the number of people seeking jobs abroad is steadily increasing, thanks to policies aimed at opening up new opportunities for both skilled and unskilled workers.
He noted that since the Bureau was established in 1971, it has facilitated overseas employment for more than 10 million Pakistanis. “In 2015 alone, we saw the highest annual outflow, when 946,571 people went abroad for work,” the official added.
At present, over 116,000 job vacancies are available through BEOE channels, underscoring the significant role overseas employment plays in supporting Pakistan’s economy. “These jobs not only help reduce unemployment at home but also contribute immensely to the country’s foreign exchange reserves through remittances,” he said.
Overseas remittances remain a crucial lifeline for Pakistan’s economy, supporting debt servicing, import payments, poverty reduction programmes, infrastructure development, and various economic activities.
The official explained that the Bureau regulates, facilitates, and monitors the emigration process carried out by Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) in the private sector, while also overseeing direct employment cases where individuals secure jobs abroad through personal contacts or efforts.
“One of the Bureau’s core responsibilities is to collect, compile, and maintain data on all emigrants proceeding for employment, a task it has been diligently performing since its inception,” he said. This extensive recordkeeping, he added, forms the basis for economic planning and policymaking across government departments.
The Bureau operates under the Emigration Ordinance, 1979, with the dual mandate of regulating and promoting overseas employment for Pakistani citizens.
