Nearly all registered job seekers in Laos are looking for work abroad, even as businesses at home struggle to recruit staff.
In the first nine months of 2026, a total of 76,604 people from Laos signed up to look for work, 93 percent of whom sought work overseas, while just 7 percent looked for jobs in Laos.
Labor and Social Welfare Minister Phosay Sayasone shared the information during a meeting with the National Assembly on 7 October.
Between 2016 and 2026, Laos sent more than 708,000 citizens abroad for work, with Thailand receiving nearly 95 percent of them. The figures show the scale of labor migration over the past decade, a trend that continues today.
During the first nine months of 2026, a total of 119,382 people found formal employment, 15,772 of whom in Laos and 103,610 overseas, according to Phoxay.
Wage Gap
Low wages and rising living costs continue to push Lao workers to seek jobs abroad, while overseas employment remains an important source of foreign currency for the country.
Lao citizens working overseas sent home an estimated USD 500.7 million during the first seven months of 2026 alone.
Demand for overseas work remains high. Laos plans to send more than 17,000 workers to South Korea this year under its seasonal employment program.
Irregular migration also remains a concern. More than 73,000 Lao citizens were working abroad without proper documentation in 2024, out of 224,000 Lao workers overseas that year.
To address pressure on household incomes, authorities are reviewing a proposed increase in the minimum wage from LAK 2.5 million (USD 116) to between LAK 2.7 million and LAK 4.1 million (up to USD 190). The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to approve the increase.
Meanwhile, the labor ministry has suspended new work permits and labor visas for Bangladeshi nationals nationwide through the end of 2026, citing unauthorized brokers and negligent employers. The ministry said the measure would open more job opportunities for Lao workers.
