As hundreds of Indians working abroad head back home after having lost their jobs to the economic slowdown,latest government data shows that the number of unskilled workers leaving the country is also on a decline. The downslides effects have become visible in the last six months. According to figures available with the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs,over 70,000 unskilled workers used to leave the country every month in search of jobs abroad. The number has come down to a little over 50,000 every month since October last year. Officials in the Ministry attribute the downward trend to the global economic slowdown which has gripped the construction and banking sectors in many countries,especially the Middle-East and South-East Asian nations,considered favourite destinations for migrating blue collar workers. The figures collected by the Ministry,which are available with The Sunday Express,show that in the last six months (between October 2008 and March 31,2009) there has been an average 25 per cent decline in the number of unskilled workers leaving the country as compared to the corresponding period in previous years. While the number of such workers leaving the country witnessed a 30 per cent decline in October 2008 as compared to the same month in the previous year,there was a 25 per cent dip in November,13 per cent in December,17 per cent in January,28 per cent in February and 33 per cent in March. The number of people leaving the country with emigration clearance certificates has definitely come down in the last six months. But people are still going and what it shows is that new job opportunities for unskilled people are still there, says Overseas Ministry Secretary K. Mohandas. While the Ministry has definite figures on the number of unskilled workers leaving the country,it has none on the migrants returning to India. But with instances of reverse migration increasing,the Ministry is planning to commission a study to analyse its impact on the economy. We dont have any mechanism at present to monitor the return of workers. But what we can say is that so far the situation is not alarming, a senior Ministry official said. Experts say that while around 8 lakh unskilled people go to the Gulf and South-East Asian countries every year,around 30 per cent of the workers return annually because of various factors,including adverse climatic conditions. That number is said to be increasing with migrants losing their jobs abroad. But the government doesnt look too perturbed. In fact,the Overseas Ministrys proposal to announce cash assistance for such workers in distress was shot down by the Finance Ministry.
