Jan 27, Kathmandu - In the last 6 months, nearly 600,000 Nepalese have gone abroad in search of work. Even as the country is facing an election season with the announcement of general elections, the trend of going abroad is increasing.

According to the statistics of the Department of Foreign Employment, 590,718 people have gone abroad with work permits from Shrawan to the end of Paush of the current fiscal year 2082/83. Of this number, 196,042 people have re-obtained work permits, of which 4,866 have gone to Israel, Korea and the UK through 'G2G' (government-to-government).

According to the statistics of the Department of Foreign Employment, 64,262 people have gone abroad with individual work permits and 325,407 have gone abroad through manpower companies.

The trend of going abroad increases after the festivals and it is estimated that this number may increase further during the New Year and the increase in demand in the construction and service sectors. Gulf countries, Malaysia and in recent years, Japan, South Korea and European countries have also become major destinations for Nepali workers. The demand for unskilled and semi-skilled workers is still high in the Gulf and Malaysia, while Japan and Korea are increasingly attracting workers with language and skills.