132,000 jobs at risk as Nepal graduates from ‘least developed status’
Nepal may lose 132,000 existing jobs — about half of them held by women — and incur nearly $1 billion in economic losses over five years following its graduation from Least Developed Country, or LDC, to a developing country in November 2026, a report unveiled on March 16 said.
The job losses — 67,000 among men and 65,000 among women — would largely stem from export declines linked to the end of LDC-specific trade benefits.
The report, Employment Impact Assessment on Nepal’s LDC Graduation, released by the International Labour Organization, or ILO, warns that both exports and jobs are at risk and urges Nepal to prepare for a smooth transition. It says that to offset potential income and employment losses, Nepal will need to increase investments and strengthen its economic competitiveness.