Myanmar’s migrant workers hit five million

About five million Myanmar nationals are now working as migrant labourers overseas as job prospects in the country are limited and salaries remain low, according to state media reports.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, and Population (MOLIP), about three million of the country’s migrant labourers are working in Thailand.

Other main destinations include Malaysia, Singapore, China, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Most of Myanmar migrant labourers are employed in low-paid manual jobs, but young people in Myanmar are find it difficult to gain employment at home, leaving them no option but to head overseas, said MOLIP permanent secretary U Myo Aung.

Although such migrant workers bring in valuable overseas remittances to Myanmar, there is also a major economic downside to the country from the loss of so many young workers, he said.