Sri Lanka has sent the highest number of skilled workers abroad for jobs in 2024. According to the latest statistics of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), nearly 312,836 job seekers had gone abroad for jobs last year.
SLBFE Regional Manager of the Kurunegala district A. M. Ananda told the Sunday Observer that 1.3 million Sri Lankans had gone abroad for jobs during the past six years. In 2024, nearly 185,162 male workers and 127,674 female workers had gone abroad for jobs. The highest number of 77,546 skilled workers had gone to Kuwait for jobs in 2024.
He said 7,098 Sri Lankans had gone to South Korea and 9,665 had gone to Israel for jobs in 2024. Nearly 8,665 Sri Lankans had gone to Japan for jobs in 2024.
Nearly 400,000 skilled workers are expected to be sent abroad for lucrative jobs this year and more job training programs have been planned for unemployed youth at Government Technical Colleges, Colleges of Technology, University Colleges and the NAITA. Two billion rupees will be expended for the purpose by the Government and private sectors, he said.
The foreign exchange that these Sri Lankan workers remitted to Sri Lanka in 2024 was around US$ 6,462 million, he added.
