President: Expatriate employees increased three times, unemployed Maldivians at 27%

President Mohamed Nasheed said that the rate of expatriates employed in the Maldives has increased by three times in the past 10 years, and the unemployed Maldivians are now at 27%.

Speaking today on the occasion of independence day, the president said that there is a population of 205000 Maldivians of working age and 27% of them are unemployed.

“1600 companies and 2000 individuals in the Maldives have employed more than 70000 expatriates,” said the president Nasheed, while total population of the Maldives is less than 400000.

President said that 12000 among those 60000 youth who have completed the schools participated in higher education and vocational training programs.

“This means most of the youngsters are not employed and they have not had any vocational training or further education. They are depending either on their parents or the relatives. We have to work to change this,” said the president.

President has announced a program worth MRf 360 million to train Maldivians in various fields and to reduce the unemployed citizens.