Socioeconomic Impact of Foreign Employment on Households in Bheemdatta Municipality, Nepal

Abstract

This study investigates the social and economic effects of foreign employment among households in Bheemdatta Municipality Ward 13 in Kanchanpur district of Nepal, with a view of looking into its economic, social, and agricultural effects. For this research, exploratory mixed-methods approach was utilized with a census study of 500 households, of which 250 were remittance-receiving and 250 non-remittance households. Quantitative data was collected through structured household questionnaire, and qualitative data was collected by conducting focus group discussions, key informant interviews, case studies, and direct observation. The survey findings indicate that remittance-receiving households had higher income, having 57.4% earning between NPR 20,000 and NPR 40,000 monthly, higher savings (65% being regular savers), better housing (38.8% households having permanent houses), and better access to financial services than non-receiving households. On the contrary, socially, remittances account for higher enrollment in private schools (40.8%), higher involvement of women in household decision making, and proportion of ownership of household assets. However, foreign employment has also led to shortage of agricultural labor (68%), abandonment of farmland (42%), and decline in crop production, and increased migration-related debt (65%). In general, offshore jobs help families gain well-being and encounter particular social and farming problems. The findings emphasize connections but not causal relations and stress the importance of elaborating measures to improve workforce efficiency and skills, financial literacy, family support, and agrarian revival.