Number of jobs abroad plummets

23 Jan 2009
By Im Navin
Cambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Click here to read the article in French

Workers in Cambodia are faced with a worldwide slowdown.

With the economic crisis, the number of jobs starts to plummet. “We are starting to face difficulties in sending our workers abroad because all the countries are affected by the crisis, consequently, the number of job offers decreases,” Um Mean, the Labor secretary of state, told Cambodge Soir Hebdo while indicating that Thailand is under scrutiny following its political crisis.
Close to 80,000 Cambodians were employed overseas in 2008, Vong Soth, the minister of Labor, reported. 78,900 is the exact number of workers overseas who earn about $15 million. “This income helps to reduce poverty and increase state revenue,” the minister said. For Vong Soth, the travel abroad also benefit Cambodians from new knowledge acquired.

South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand are among the countries which traditionally employ large contingents of Cambodian workers.