Govt. Flags Decline in Korean Job Placements 📈

The Sri Lankan government has addressed a significant drop in employment opportunities in South Korea, citing a decline from over 16,000 departures in 2022 to approximately 10,202 in 2025. • Overall Trends Departures facilitated by the government fell from 6,639 in 2022 to 3,712 in 2025. Private agency departures also dropped from 9,745 in 2023 to 6,490 in 2025. • Sector Breakdown (Current Registrations) As of January 2026, 10,122 Sri Lankans remain registered for placement: • Manufacturing: 5,820 (2025 quota set at 6,800) • Services: 2,518 • Shipbuilding: 1,391 (Only 32 contracts issued in 2025) • Fishing: 343 • Construction: 50 • Key Challenges The decline is attributed to Korean policy shifts, labor demand instability, and high rates of illegal overstays. Employer concerns regarding frequent job changes by Sri Lankan workers have also negatively impacted recruitment. • Mitigation & Diplomatic Push The government is negotiating to shift eligible candidates from the low-demand shipbuilding and service sectors into manufacturing. High-level diplomatic talks are ongoing to increase job quotas for Q1 2026 and improve the perception of Sri Lankan worker reliability. • Other Markets Placements in Italy remain stalled due to a lack of willing employers; a fresh MoU is currently being pursued to revitalize the overseas employment pipeline in Europe.