BD missed S Korea worker quota in 2023

Bangladesh fell short of sending its full quota of workers to South Korea in 2023, achieving less than 50 per cent of the allotted jobs.
The shortfall was caused by a number of factors: dampened demand from Korean employers, negative perceptions of Bangladeshi workers due to immature job switching and language and cultural issues.
South Korea – an emerging and vital job market for Bangladeshi semi-skilled and skilled workers -- allocated a total quota of 110,000 semi-skilled workers for source countries in 2023. Bangladesh received a record share of 10,000 jobs, but ultimately filled only 4,804 semi-skilled positions.
Officials say the decline in demand emerged from several reasons. Firstly, Korean employers sent fewer job requests in 2023 compared to previous years. Besides, a high rate of job switching among Bangladeshi workers – estimated at 30-40 per cent – earned a negative impression for Bangladeshis and contributed to reduced recruitment.
SM Shafi Kamal, company secretary of the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), the sole state agency for worker recruitment to South Korea, underlined the issue of job switching.
Bangladesh sent 5,891 workers to South Korea in 2022.
"We learned from Human Resources Development Korea that this negative impression played a key role in the reduction of recruitment from Bangladesh," he said.
Mr Kamal also noted other challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers, such as lagging language skills and a lack of understanding of appropriate workplace behaviour.
"Sometimes they behave aggressively, which employers do not appreciate," the official added.
Lower production in Korean small industries due to heavy rainfall and flooding in 2023 further reduced demand for foreign workers.
Bangladesh began sending workers to South Korea in 2008 under the Employment Permit System (EPS), which recruits workers for various sectors such as motor vehicles, rubber, plastic, apparel, handicrafts and food.
Bangladesh mainly fills positions in the motor vehicle, food and handicraft industries.
Efforts to improve worker retention
Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) officials said they discourage workers from changing jobs in South Korea.
Despite BOESL's efforts like a Tk 100,000 deposit per worker, many switch jobs for marginally higher salaries, impacting Bangladesh's ability to fulfil quotas.
The agency is now focusing on motivational counselling during training to encourage workers to persevere through their initial contracts.
BOESL officials say completing the around five-year contract opens doors to better opportunities within the same company or elsewhere as a skilled worker.
However, many still switch workplaces for small gains (Tk 15,000-20,000), which causes more loss than profit, the officials close to the development told The Financial Express.
A typical worker earns Tk 180,000-200,000 in South Korea.
Taping S Korean market requires upskilling
Korea announces EPS quotas annually, with Nepal emerging as a key competitor for Bangladesh due to Nepali workers' superior language skills and other qualities.
Still, BOESL officials note that Bangladeshi workers are hardworking and willing to do overtime -- traits valued by Korean employers.
"We are also working on how to further improve their skills." SM Shafi Kamal, one of BOESL top officials, told the FE.
Expressing optimism about future quotas, BOESL acknowledged that even the 2023 figure (around 5,000 workers) represents remarkable progress compared to prior years: 1,645 in 2019, 2,355 in 2018, and 1,786 in 2017.
The Covid-19 pandemic hampered these numbers, with only 141 and 111 workers sent in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
South Korea remains a valuable remittance source for Bangladesh, with migrants sending $41.64 million between July and December 2023 alone. The total for FY2022-23 was $118.69 million.
Shakirul Islam, chairman of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme (OKUP), said that since Korea is an important market for Bangladeshi skilled workers, the government should prepare the required workers.
"If the worker outflow increases in such high-end markets, the trend of sending unskilled workers to the Middle East will decline, which will eventually help develop the manpower sector."

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