Remittances from migrant workers increased by 15 percent to Rs 2.5 billion

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Remittances from the migrant workers recorded a 2,502 million US Dollars during 2007, an increase of 15 percent from the previous year.

The Middle Eastern region continued to provide 90 percent of the total foreign employment for Sri Lankans the Annual Central Bank report 2007 states.

However unskilled workers continued to account for a significant share of foreign employment dominated by housemaids the report also stated.

Overseas job opportunities for the Sri Lankan labour force continued to be a vital source of employment and there were 217,306 departures compared with 201,948 from the previous years which was a growth of 7.6 percent during the year.

The dominance of housemaids has been declining over the years and it was 49 percent of the total foreign employment in 2005 declining to 47 percent in 2007 the report said.

An apprenticeship training programme in the construction sector leading to an internationally accepted certification and similar training in hospitality trade were undertaken with a view to cater to these sectors in the global market.

Consequently, the migrant workforce in the categories of skilled and unskilled labour, other than the housemaids, increased from 42 percent in 2006 to 47 percent in 2007 the Central Bank report stated.