Bhutan saw a surge in overseas employment in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, with tourism and hospitality emerging as the leading employer. Women made up the majority with over 1,000 placements, reflecting a growing trend of women seeking jobs abroad. This is according to the Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship’s annual report.
The growing demand for Bhutanese workers in the service industry abroad is evident, with the tourism and hospitality sector leading overseas placements with 1,428 workers. This is followed by retail and sales at 191 employees, education and skills development with 53 workers, and 6 in the health sector.
Of the total placements, 1,094 were women, highlighting a rising trend of women seeking employment opportunities abroad, particularly in hospitality, retail, and education sectors.
Since the Overseas Employment Programme began in September 2013, the placements have steadily increased, except in 2020-2021 when the programme was kept on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the last financial year, the department implemented two programmes: the Employment Programme in Middle East Countries and the Nursing Programme in Singapore.
Among the five destination countries, Kuwait remained the most preferred choice. Of over 1,600 Bhutanese who moved overseas to work in the 2023-2024 financial year, almost 90 per cent of them went to Kuwait. The remaining 169 of them went to Qatar, UAE, Singapore, and Slovenia.
In terms of educational background, class XII graduates constituted the majority with 1,040 placements, followed by class X graduates at 564 and university graduates were placed in 62 jobs.
The increasing number of Bhutanese workers overseas reflects a shift in the employment landscape as more individuals seek economic opportunities beyond national borders.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Sonam Pem
