INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MAINSTREAMING MIGRATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: SOUTH ASIAN EXPERIENCE

Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo, 13-14 June 2013

MAINSTREAMING MIGRATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA: THE CASE OF MALDIVES

Maldives – A net labour importing country

*Net Labour importing country

*Different set of problems compared to the rest of the countries in the region

*Emanates from the small and highly distributed population of the country

*Total population 336,224 persons estimated 2013

Employment data for Maldivians, 2009/2010 HHIES.

*Total population aged 15 and over: 213,872

*Total employed: 98,393

*Unemployment rate:

*Total: 11.7

*15-19 age group: 35.2

*20-24 age group: 21.6

Growth in demand for expatriate labour

*Emergence of the tourism industry in 1972

*Economic growth that followed and the growth of construction industry, trade and services sectors and the general improvements in household levels of income

*Lack of demand from Maldivians for unskilled occupations and lack of trained Maldivians for highly skilled jobs in the private sector.

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

Population of Maldives 1911-2016

Reference Year

Nu

mb

er o

f P

eop

le

Population Pyramid of Maldives 2013

0-45-9

10-1415-1920-2425-2930-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960-6465-6970-7475-79

80+

25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000

Males Females

Number of persons

Ag

e g

rou

p

1995 2000 2006 2011 20160%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

15 11 9 9 10

1714

10 8 9

1515

139 8

1012

1412 9

2223

2731

32

7 78

1111

8 1012 12 13

5 5 7 9 10

5 5 4 4 63 4 5 5 5

Population by Broad Age Groups, 1995-2016

65+55-6445-5435-4425-3420-2415-1910-145-90-4

Reference Year

Per

cen

tag

e

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Net Enrollment Rate by Year and Level, 2001-2011

Primary ( 1 - 7)

Lower Secondary ( 8 - 10)

Higher Secondary ( 11 - 12)

Year

Net

En

roll

men

t R

ate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Gross Enrollment Rate by Year and Level, 2001-2011

Primary ( 1 - 7)

Lower Secondary ( 8 - 10)

Higher Secondary ( 11 - 12)

Year

Gro

ss E

nro

llm

ent

Rat

e

Local and Expatriate Teachers by Qualification, 2011

Contract Type

Number of

Teachers

Percent

Total 7,070 100%Trained 5,949 84%

Of whichPermanant 5,494 92%Temporary 455 8%

1,121

Untrained 1,121 16%Of which

Permanant 769 69%Temporary 352 31%

Category of Teacher

Expatriate Workers by Nationality, 2011

Nationality    Number of PersonsPercentAll Nationalities 79,777               100%

Bangladesh 45,417               57%

India 18,755               24%

Philippines 1,212                 2%

Sri Lanka 8,004                 10%

Other Asia 4,709                 6%

Africa 196                    0%

Europe 1,194                 1%

America 165                    0%Oceania 125                    0%

Bangladesh57%

India24%

Sri Lanka10%

Philippines2%

Other Asia6%

Africa0%

Europe1%

America0%

Oceania0%

Expatriate Workers by Nationality, 2011

Expatriate workers by Nationality and Industry of Employment, 2011

AgrFis

h

Manuf

Elec

tr, G

as, W

ater

Const

rEd

uc

Trad

e

Hotel

s/Res

tau

Tour

ism

Tran

s,Com

m

Finan

ce/In

su/C

omm

Comm

un/P

erso

n Sv

c

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

Other NationalityPhilippinesSri LankaIndiaBangladesh

Agriculture 1%

Fishing1%

Manufacturing4%

Electricity, Gas & Water0%

Construction56%

Education0%

Wholesale & Retail Trade3%

Hotels & Restaurants6%

Tourism9%

Transport, Storage and Com-munication 

2%

Financing, insurance, business and real estate

7%

Community, social and personal services10%

Bangladesh

India

Agriculture 1%

Fishing1% Manufacturing

2%

Electricity, Gas & Water0%

Construction28%

Education10%

Wholesale & Retail Trade3%

Hotels & Restaurants6%Tourism

15%

Transport, Storage and Com-munication 

3%

Financing, insurance, business and real estate

10%

Community, social and personal services

21%

Sri Lanka

Agriculture 0%

Fishing3%

Manufacturing4%

Electricity, Gas & Water0%

Construction18%

Education2%

Wholesale & Retail Trade3%

Hotels & Restaurants5%

Tourism37%

Transport, Storage and Com-munication 

5%

Financing, insurance, business and real estate

14%

Community, social and personal services10%

Expatriates by Occupation in the Tourism Sector, 2011

Others3%

Professionals5%

Legislators, Senior Officials & Managers

7%

Craft & related Trade Workers7%

Technicians & Associate Pro-fessionals

11%

Service Workers 32%

Elementary Occupations36%

Expatriates by Occupation in the Construction Sector, 2011

Others2%

Elementary Occupations48%

Craft & related Trade Workers50%

Occupation 

  Total

Agriculture and

Forestry Fishing

Manufacturin

g

Electricity, Gas

& Water

Construction

Education

Wholesale & Retail Trade

Hotels &

Restaurants Tourism

Transport,

Storage and

Communication

Financing, insurance, business a

nd real estate 

Community, social and

personal services

Total 79,777 543 1,103 2,563 104 34,260 2,114 2,194 4,595 13,488 2,004 6,860 9,949

Legislators, Senior Officials & Managers 1,548 0 4 17 4 100 12 19 24 880 36 417 35

Professionals 5,026 4 43 11 3 304 2,009 24 20 658 105 637 1,208

Technicians & Associate Professionals 3,878 2 11 63 0 77 41 35 14 1,428 537 369 1,301

Clerical & Related Workers 133 0 0 2 0 6 0 6 0 101 3 15 0

Service Workers 9,043 10 25 31 0 138 0 90 3,547 4,257 64 543 338

Skilled Agricultural & Fisheries Workers 411 69 1 0 0 12 0 0 3 311 0 7 8

Craft & related Trade Workers 20,563 7 24 1,094 2 16,988 0 41 18 912 69 1,356 52

Plant, Machine Operators Assemblers 1,244 1 4 154 9 152 1 74 25 33 204 353 234

Elementary Occupations 37,931 450 991 1,191 86 16,483 51 1,905 944 4,908 986 3,163 6,773

Expatriate Employment by Industry and Occupation, 2011

In Conclusion

• Strengthen regulation for the recruitment and management of expatriate workers in the country

• Strengthen enforcement of regulation

• Identify the human resources needs of the country in the medium and longer terms and involve the private sector in training Maldivian youth for the requirements of the job market

• Make the necessary curriculum changes to encourage less academically inclined youth to take up vocational education and provide such opportunities

Thank you!