POEA lists 2016 overseas employment prospects

Date Posted: 06/30/2016

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration said overseas employment prospects for Filipinos remain positive in 2016 as it lines up opportunities for OFWs in various parts of the world.

In his report of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac said overall demand for overseas Filipino workers remains strong as indicated by continuing job orders of various occupations.

Cacdac said that in terms of volumes and diversity of skills required, Middle East remains to be biggest prospect employer of OFWs in 2016 and onwards.

Other than household workers, nurses, engineers, construction workers, medical and laboratory technicians, cooks, waiters and food servers, electricians, welders are the most common skills and professions needed by employers in the Middle East.

Cacdac said Africa’s requirement for highly skilled and professional workers in mining and construction related industries remains high. Health workers including nurses, medics and doctors are needed in facilities operated by international health organizations.

The possibility of deployment facilitation and protection of migrant workers from the Philippines to the region is being explored where bilateral labor agreements are in their initial stages with Kenya, Morocco, Seychelles and Tunisia

Cacdac said there is continuing demand for computer-related workers, and healthcare professionals in the United States of America.

In Canada, occupations for business, finance and administrative, natural and applied sciences and related occupations, health, social science, education, government service, trades, transport an equipment operators and related occupations, oil and gas, processing, manufacturing and utilities are in demand.

The Administrator said there are current job orders of nurses for Belize; engineers for Bolivia; and domestic workers, electrical technicians, and engineers for Brazil.

Canada has continuing demand f or meat cutt ers, f ood attendants and agricultural technicians.  Cert if ied public accountants are needed in Cayman Islands; and pipe f itters and welders in Chile. Construct ion workers are also needed in Sta. Lucia, Guam, Panama and Venezuela.

In Asia, Japan is further opening up opportunities for semi-skilled labor in the construction,     ship-building and domestic work in economic zones and care workers. South Korea and Taiwan will continue to be the major destination for factory workers.

Despite the high unemployment situation, European Union faces skills mismatch and labor shortages and the demand for foreign workers is expected to grow at a faster rate (around 13%), compared to the previous decade, due to continuing skill intensive economic and technological changes. Germany, Finland, United Kingdom will continue to feel shortages for health workers in the next few years.

Private recruitment agencies have yet to fill up existing job orders of nurses for Ireland, Malta, United Kingdom and Finland. UK also needs assistant caregivers and other construction related workers like welders, pipefitters and engineers.

Malta also has job orders of aircraft technicians and aircraft cabin mechanics. Cyprus needs cooks and household workers.

Thousands of construction-related jobs are opening up for Filipino workers in New Zealand as Christchurch Rebuild is getting into full swing starting 2016 with immediate to long -term construction projects to complete.

Australia’s planned migration program continues to welcome skilled and professional workers into the country.

The deployment of seafarers will continue to grow in 2016 with shipping companies expecting aggregate year-over-year growth earnings of around 5%-7% from May 2015 to November 2016 which spells a stable outlook for the industry over the same period.

Cacdac also reported that the demand for Filipino seafarers will increase with the continued hiring of shipping employers for tankers, cruise ships, and offshore oil rigs.

Published Date: January 11, 2015
Source: POEA