Pakistan is a relatively young country with a predominantly youthful population. Children under the age of 15 make up approximately 40.56 per cent of the population, while those aged 15-29 account for 26.03 per cent. With a growth rate of 2.5 per cent, the country's population is expected to exceed 403 million by 2050, ensuring a continuous supply of potential workers for its labour force.
Pakistan is a relatively young country with a predominantly youthful population. Children under the age of 15 make up approximately 40.56 per cent of the population, while those aged 15-29 account for 26.03 per cent. With a growth rate of 2.5 per cent, the country's population is expected to exceed 403 million by 2050, ensuring a continuous supply of potential workers for its labour force.
Pakistan's labour force is among the ten largest in the world, and the persistently high fertility rate continues to add new entrants. However, compared to workers from India, Bangladesh, and other regional countries, a typical Pakistani worker is often uncompetitive due to low levels of education and a limited skill set.
The Gulf region has traditionally been the preferred destination for Pakistani labour migrants, receiving approximately 92 per cent of Pakistan’s overseas workers in 2024, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the top destinations. However, the vast majority of these migrants are low-skilled or unskilled workers, while highly skilled migrants from Pakistan remain few in number.
In 2024, highly skilled migrants made up only about 7.0 per cent of all emigrants. Compared to competitors in the global labour market, Pakistan lags significantly in acquiring high-end skills, making its workforce less attractive internationally -- including in the Gulf. For instance, a 2018 World Bank survey found that only about 8.0 per cent of Pakistani migrant workers had skill certification, compared to 36 per cent of Indian and 39 per cent of Filipino workers.
It is time to recognise that in this era of digitisation, technological advancement and automation, the global labour market for migrant workers is evolving rapidly. While Pakistani migrant workers have traditionally relied on the GCC region, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Gulf labour market is also changing. Like other global economies, Gulf states are increasingly seeking to attract highly skilled and qualified professionals, particularly in technology and healthcare. This shift from manual labour to highly skilled occupations is likely to reduce demand for Pakistani workers, who remain concentrated in unskilled jobs such as driving and construction.
This issue was recently underscored when Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, in an interview with Gulf News, highlighted the mismatch between the skills of Pakistani workers and the evolving labour demands in the UAE. The ambassador rightly expressed concerns about the future of Pakistani workers in a job market that is transitioning towards high-end skills.
Investing in high-end skills is essential not only for securing opportunities for Pakistani workers abroad, including in traditional destinations like the Gulf but also for expanding Pakistan’s participation in the global gig economy
Similarly, Saudi Vision 2030 aims to attract highly skilled professionals from around the world. However, the current profile of Pakistani migrants in Saudi Arabia shows a clear disconnect between their skill levels and the kingdom’s development goals. To address this, the government and relevant stakeholders must recognise the urgent need to invest in skills development for Pakistani youth. Given the growing demand in host countries, priority should be given to training in IT, hospitality, and healthcare sectors when designing workforce upskilling programmes.
The recently held Global Labour Market Conference in Riyadh provided valuable insights in this regard. A key takeaway from the conference was the importance of integrating youth into the workforce through investment in human capital to prepare them for the digitally transformed global labour market.
Pakistan has an abundant labour supply, primarily consisting of young people, who can be developed into a world-class talent pool. This, in turn, can contribute to economic growth by enabling them to become active participants in the domestic labour force. The role of both federal and provincial governments is crucial in this process, as they can allocate state resources towards effective labour market strategies and upskilling initiatives.
While the government has taken some steps, such as launching skill development programmes like Matric-TECH, there is a need to shift from traditional skill training to high-end skills. This shift requires not only skill certification in fields such as Information Technology, nursing, healthcare, and hospitality but also the introduction of advanced-level courses at tertiary and higher education levels.
Efforts to upgrade skills should also align with global best practices. This can help change the prevailing perception of technical and vocational education as inferior or secondary, encouraging more young people to pursue high-end skill certification courses.
As countries hosting Pakistani migrant workers -- particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia -- move towards attracting and retaining highly skilled professionals, the development of Pakistan’s workforce becomes a crucial factor in shaping the future of labour migration.
Investing in high-end skills is, therefore, essential not only for securing opportunities for Pakistani workers abroad, including in traditional destinations like the Gulf but also for expanding Pakistan’s participation in the global gig economy. Focusing on upskilling workers in IT, healthcare, and nursing could prove to be a game-changer for Pakistan’s economic development.
The writer is an associate researcher at the Lahore School of Economics. She can be reached at: qazimemona94@gmail.com.
