Manpower export to S Korea hits snag due to global recession
Saturday, 28 March 2009
Sheikh Shahariar Zaman
Bangladesh's manpower export to South Korea has hit a snag due to the current global recession.
"Last year, we predicted that 5,000 people would be recruited in 2009, but it has become uncertain as the recession has hit the country hard," said Suk-Bum Park, South Korean ambassador to Bangladesh.
In 2008, over 1,500 people were recruited by Korean employers and they were hired generally for a period of three years.
A person has to pass Korean language test to become a potential employee and a list of the potential employees is posted on the website from where Korean employers can choose suitable persons and bring them under employment contracts, the ambassador said while explaining the recruitment process.
The country earned $9.79 million in remittance from South Korea in July-January period and $19.69 million in the last fiscal, according to the central bank data.
The Korean government in 2007 designated Bangladesh as a partner country for 'Employment Permit Scheme' (EPS) to receive Bangladeshi workers.
A Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training official said about 2,100 Bangladeshis have since gone to South Korea.
"In January this year, about 300 Bangladeshis went to South Korea, but in February and, so far, in March not a single person did go to that country," he said.
Employment opportunity abroad for Bangladeshis has diminished significantly since the start of recession in September.
The Malaysian government recently cancelled visas for more than 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers, who were due to leave shortly.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that the government started working on and closely monitoring of the issue.
Bangladesh's manpower export to South Korea has hit a snag due to the current global recession.
"Last year, we predicted that 5,000 people would be recruited in 2009, but it has become uncertain as the recession has hit the country hard," said Suk-Bum Park, South Korean ambassador to Bangladesh.
In 2008, over 1,500 people were recruited by Korean employers and they were hired generally for a period of three years.
A person has to pass Korean language test to become a potential employee and a list of the potential employees is posted on the website from where Korean employers can choose suitable persons and bring them under employment contracts, the ambassador said while explaining the recruitment process.
The country earned $9.79 million in remittance from South Korea in July-January period and $19.69 million in the last fiscal, according to the central bank data.
The Korean government in 2007 designated Bangladesh as a partner country for 'Employment Permit Scheme' (EPS) to receive Bangladeshi workers.
A Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training official said about 2,100 Bangladeshis have since gone to South Korea.
"In January this year, about 300 Bangladeshis went to South Korea, but in February and, so far, in March not a single person did go to that country," he said.
Employment opportunity abroad for Bangladeshis has diminished significantly since the start of recession in September.
The Malaysian government recently cancelled visas for more than 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers, who were due to leave shortly.
Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said that the government started working on and closely monitoring of the issue.