BD workers' jobs in Jordan's RMG sector halve

Outbound apparel workers from Bangladesh to Jordan more than halved in the last fiscal year (FY) than the previous FY, as demand for foreign workers in the readymade garment industry (RMG) of the Middle Eastern country fell sharply amid lower supply orders.
In FY 2022-23, Bangladesh could send only 7,014 garment workers to Jordan, more than 55-per cent lower than 15,735 workers who went there in FY 2021-2022, according to figures from Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL).
"The demand for the workers from Jordan dropped as apparel industries impacted following the Russia-Ukraine conflict," said Dr Mallick Anwar Hossain, managing director of BOESL.
"Because of the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, the export order from the United States of America and the European Union declined to the Jordanian apparel sector. So, the employers reduced workers' recruitment for their factories," he said.
The lower outflow of workers has also affected the inflow of remittances from that country. Bangladeshis working in Jordan sent remittances of US$ 127.87 million home in the FY 2022-23, which was 143.23 million in the FY 2021-22, according to the Bangladesh Bank data.
BOESL, the lone state-owned recruitment agency, started sending apparel workers to Jordan in 2010. It sent 94,787 workers to that labour-receiving country, so far.
Data available from the recruitment agency also showed it sent 5,549 workers in the FY 2020-2021, 7,463 workers in 2019-20, and 9,494 in 2018-19.
When asked, BOESL assistant general manager Noman Chowdhury said that they are still receiving a lower number of workers' demands from the employers of Jordan than that of earlier.
"Employers are often telling us that they are not getting orders for clothing at the desired level from the buyers," he said.
Especially small companies reduced production following this crisis, he added.
Bangladesh mostly sends operators to the Jordanian apparel units and a few highly skilled and professionals such as supervisors, head of the operator, head of the merchandiser, and cook. Of the total count, women are 95 per cent for the job as operators.
Jordan hired Bangladeshi workers for the garment sector without migration cost. The basic monthly wage for an operator is Tk 18,000, but total earnings including overtime is from Tk 25,000 to Tk 30,000. Professionals can earn approximately Tk 150,000 to Tk 200,000 each month.
About 60 per cent of foreign garment workers in Jordan are Bangladeshis.
Apart from Bangladesh, Jordan hires workers from India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal for this sector.
Although India and Sri Lanka send fewer workers than Bangladesh to Jordan, they send highly skilled manpower and professionals. So, they receive higher remittances despite sending less manpower, officials said.
In this case, the shortage of overall skilled manpower in Bangladesh also is being reflected in the Jordanian market, they added.
However, Bangladesh also sends apparel workers to Mauritius mainly through private recruitment agencies. Recently, BOESL has started sending skilled manpower and professionals to the garment sector in Romania.

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