The number of outbound workers dropped by about 38 per cent in the last eight months of the current calendar year, compared to the same period of the last year.
According to the data available with the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), over 0.5 million (500,694) workers went abroad with jobs during the period between January and August in 2018.
Some 0.69 million (690,046) workers went abroad during the same period of 2017, the official data showed.
Besides, the number of monthly overseas jobs for Bangladeshi workers also dropped, the data showed.
Overseas jobs dropped to 49,727 in August from 58,627 in July this year, registering a 15 per cent decline.
Private manpower recruiters and officials said the Middle Eastern countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, cut recruitment from Bangladesh.
The recruitment of both Bangladeshi male and female workers by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has declined in the recent months.
Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain have also cut recruitment of workers from this country.
So, the number of outbound jobseekers witnessed a declining trend in the last eight months, they added.
In eight months of the current year, Saudi Arabia recruited 172,379 Bangladeshi workers followed by Malaysia 125,819, Qatar 50,952, Oman 47,658 and Kuwait 24,516.
Because of restriction imposed by the KSA on hiring foreign workers, employment opportunities for overseas jobseekers have shrunk, said Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) President Benjir Ahmed.
He said job opportunities in construction sector are also declining in that country.
Instead of getting fresh employments, many Bangladeshi expatriate workers have returned home as their employers did not renew job contract, he said.
He said Saudi authorities concerned banned 12 categories of jobs for foreign workers recently.
Bangladeshi workers got jobs mostly under those categories.
Qatar is also searching skilled workers for its different sectors, officials said.
Bangladesh sends mainly less-skilled construction workers abroad.
But the demand for such less-skilled workers is dropping day by day in this oil-rich country, they added.
Sector insiders said, if the declining trend continues, the overseas job target set by the government is likely to be missed this year.
They suggested that the authorities concerned should take necessary steps to diversify and explore new job opportunities for Bangladeshi workers.
Meanwhile, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry set a target of sending 1.2 million workers abroad in 2018.
Bangladesh sent over 1.0 million workers abroad in 2017.
Of the total KSA hired 551,308, BMET data said.
More than 11 million Bangladeshis had gone abroad with employment since 1976, according to BMET statistics.
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