Number of deployed overseas Filipino workers 2012-2021

In 2021, about 745 thousand Filipino workers were deployed overseas, reflecting a 35 percent increase from the previous year. The number of deployed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) significantly plummeted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Leading occupation of deployed OFWs 

In 2020, the leading occupation of newly hired workers that were deployed from the Philippines were domestic cleaners and helpers, followed by domestic housekeepers. Filipino domestic cleaners and housekeepers had been in demand in several countries, particularly in the Middle East and Hong Kong, where the salary is higher and migrant workers in these countries usually get more benefits compared to if they work in the Philippines.

 Increasing demand for healthcare workers 

Aside from domestic cleaners and housekeepers, recent years reflected a growing demand for healthcare workers, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, over 3,300 nursing professionals were deployed in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Germany. To counter the possible shortfall of nursing staff in the country, the government imposed an annual ceiling on the deployment of newly hired healthcare workers which is currently set at seven thousand workers.