YANGON, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The number of Myanmar's migrant workers working overseas has hit 5 million, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Wednesday.
Among them, about 3 million are young workers currently work in Thailand but most of them are low-paid manual laborers, said U Myo Aung, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population.
The rest of workers choose Malaysia, Singapore, China, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other Asian and European Union countries and regions.
About 45,000 Myanmar's marine workers from Tanintharyi and Ayeyawaddy regions and Mon and Kayin states are engaged in Thailand's fishing industry and over 51,000 are employed in fishery products processing factories, U Myo Aung added.
In response to Thailand's need to recruit more Myanmar marine workers through the legal labor exchange system, Myanmar's labor ministry is stepping up efforts to create more job opportunities via online labor exchange management system, the report said.
According to a deal reached between Myanmar and Thailand in August last year when Thai Labor Minister Adul Sangsingkeo visited Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw, Thailand offered a quota of 60,000 Myanmar migrant workers in the fishing industry.
