Overseas Employment Trends for Pakistanis in Early 2025

ISLAMABAD: In the initial quarter of 2025, a considerable contingent of Pakistani citizens actively pursued job prospects in international markets. Data provided by the Bureau of Immigration reveals that 172,144 individuals sought employment overseas during this three-month period.

Among the destinations, Saudi Arabia stood out as the most favored country for Pakistani workers, drawing an impressive 121,190 individuals. Oman was the second most popular, with 8,331 Pakistanis securing jobs there, while the United Arab Emirates provided opportunities for 6,891.

Qatar also emerged as a sought-after employment hub, accommodating 12,989 Pakistani workers, and Bahrain welcomed 939 individuals into its workforce.

Other countries attracting Pakistani workers included the United Kingdom (1,454), Turkiye (870), Greece (815), Malaysia (775), China (592), Azerbaijan (350), Germany (264), the United States (257), Italy (109), and Japan (108).

A detailed analysis of the professions of those employed abroad indicates that 99,139 individuals were classified as general laborers.

Within the skilled labor sector, there were 38,274 drivers, 1,859 masons, 2,130 electricians, 1,689 cooks, 3,474 technicians, and 1,058 welders.

The emigration of professionals was also noteworthy, with 849 doctors and 1,479 engineers securing positions abroad. Additionally, the figures included 390 nurses and 436 teachers who found employment in foreign countries during the first quarter of the year.

Earlier data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) indicated that approximately 28,000 Pakistani citizens applied for international protection within the EU+ region between October 2023 and October 2024.

The data revealed that asylum applications reached their peak in October 2023, with approximately 3,400 applications. Since then, the numbers have shown a decreasing pattern, with 1,900 applications recorded in October 2024.

It is important to consider the EU statistics separately, as illegal human smuggling networks are also utilized by Pakistanis seeking to enter Europe.