ISLAMABAD, May 6: The Senate was informed on Tuesday that over 287,000 people were sent abroad for jobs last year.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira told the house on behalf of the labour minister that most of the people had gone to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman besides some South Asian Eastern and European countries and the United States.

He said the government has drawn up a procedure for sending skilled and semi-skilled manpower abroad. While selecting the manpower, the government focused on people from less-developed areas.

He assured the house that the next labour force and employment survey in the country would be conducted with a view to framing proper policies for creating jobs.

He claimed that the survey carried out by the previous government was not based on facts.

The minister said some 4.5 million people had been categorised as employed persons under the head of ‘un-paid family helpers’ which was not correct under the ILO or any other international rule.

He said changing figures did not change the reality. A survey based on facts would be conducted and subsequently policies would be formulated to provide employment to the youth, he said, adding that during 2006-07, there were 2.68 million unemployed people in the country while no labour survey was conducted in 2004-05.