A total of 278,563 Pakistanis registered for overseas employment during the first five months of 2026, with labourers and drivers accounting for the majority of workers seeking jobs abroad, according to data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE).
Labourers topped the list with 171,206 registrations, followed by drivers with 52,652. Together, the two categories accounted for nearly 80 percent of all overseas employment registrations during January-May 2026.
Among skilled professions, cooks recorded 9,824 registrations, reflecting continued international demand for Pakistani hospitality workers. Other notable categories included technicians, engineers, fitters, electricians, carpenters, operators, plumbers and welders.
Professional workers represented a smaller share of registrations, including doctors, accountants, computer analysts, teachers, nurses and agriculturists.
The data highlights Pakistan’s continued reliance on overseas labour markets, particularly in Gulf countries, where demand remains concentrated in construction, transportation, logistics and other labour-intensive sectors.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, Pakistan recorded 762,499 overseas employment registrations in 2025, underlining the importance of foreign jobs for employment opportunities and remittance inflows.
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