A total of 278,563 Pakistani workers registered for overseas employment during the first five months of 2026, reflecting the country's continued dependence on foreign labour markets for employment and remittances. The latest data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE) shows that while overseas employment remains a major economic outlet, the overwhelming majority of registrations continue to come from low and semi-skilled occupations, with labourers and drivers dominating the migration landscape.
Labourers and Drivers Lead Registrations
Labourers constituted the largest category during January-May 2026, with 171,206 registrations. Drivers ranked second with 52,652 registrations. Together, these two categories accounted for nearly four out of every five workers registered for overseas employment. The figures suggest that demand from destination countries remains concentrated in sectors such as construction, transportation, logistics, infrastructure development and other labour-intensive industries.
Skilled Trades and Professionals
Among skilled trades, cooks emerged as one of the strongest categories. A total of 9,824 cooks registered during the first five months of 2026, compared with 10,503 registrations recorded during the whole of 2025. The trend indicates sustained international demand for Pakistani hospitality workers. Other notable categories included technicians with 3,794 registrations, engineers with 2,341, fitters with 2,404, electricians with 1,426, carpenters with 1,404, operators with 1,849, plumbers with 595 and welders with 1,189.
Professional workers formed a small portion of overseas job registrations, including 1,284 doctors, 1,874 accountants, 630 computer analysts, 833 teachers, 487 nurses and 643 agriculturists.
Expert Analysis on Migration Trends
"Pakistan's labour migration pattern from 1971 to 2026 highlights its vulnerability to external economic and geopolitical shocks," Research Assistant at IBA's Economic Growth and Forecasting Lab Khanzaib Ahmad told The Express Tribune. "Driven largely by demand for low-skilled workers in Gulf countries, overseas employment peaked at nearly 950,000 registrations in 2015, declined following the oil price crash and the pandemic, and rebounded in 2023 as Gulf labour markets reopened. However, the pace slowed in 2026, mainly due to a sharp decline in the UAE corridor amid stricter immigration requirements, higher visa rejection rates and regional instability, reducing worker registrations to 52,664."
Concerns Over Workforce Development
The persistence of this occupational structure raises concerns about workforce development. While overseas employment boosts remittances and household incomes, Pakistan has yet to fully tap rising global demand for skilled professionals in healthcare, IT, engineering and education. The latest Economic Survey 2025-26 released early this month shows Pakistan's labour force stood at 83.14 million in FY2025, including 77.2 million employed and 5.9 million unemployed. The survey also reported 762,499 overseas employment registrations in 2025, highlighting the continued importance of foreign labour markets for jobs and remittance inflows. With seven months of data still to come, the final outcome for 2026 remains uncertain.
