Sri Lanka is set to recruit foreign workers due to the labor shortage in its industrial sector.

Minister of Industry and Enterprise Development, Sunil Handunnetti, stated that the number of vacancies in Sri Lanka's private sector exceeds 400,000, and due to the severe domestic labor shortage, industry owners have been compelled to recruit foreign workers to fill this gap. The Minister further mentioned that the private sector is inclined to bring in workers from countries like China and India, especially due to a shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor.

This labor shortage has impacted several key sectors vital to the country's economy, such as the construction sector, the automotive industry, footwear and leather goods manufacturing, as well as tile and related accessories manufacturing industries. It is indicated that the primary reason for this situation is the lack of a sufficient domestic workforce to continuously sustain existing industrial operations.

The Minister revealed these facts during a discussion about a joint program implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Enterprise Development, the Bureau of Rehabilitation, the Vocational Training Authority, and the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board. As a solution to such labor shortages, he instructed the relevant officials to implement a systematic program under the direct supervision of the Ministry to provide vocational training to rehabilitated youth and integrate them into the industrial workforce.