Filipino overseas workers are in 180,000 countries all over the world according to Department of Migrant Workers however the Philippine Statistics Authority in their official statements places the number 2.13 million as of their latest survey.
That number is totally inaccurate and misleading which is merely based on the number of deployed OFWs by the DMW in 2023 of 2,100,000.
In a study made by migration expert Emmanuel Geslani there is approximately Three Million and One Hundred Thousand OFWS (3,100,000) land-based working around the world with Two Million Four Hundred Thousand OFWS (2,410,00) in the Middle East.
Based on data from the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, there are currently 898,014 Filipino workers in the Kingdom, making it the sixth-largest expatriate community there.
UAE has around 800,000-1,000,000 OFWs especially in Dubai many are undocumented and domestic workers in Abu Dabi.
Currently, there are approximately 264,000 Filipino workers in Qatar, primarily within the construction and service industries, domestic helpers as of .Dec. 30, 2024
There are about 280,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, many of them working as domestic helpers they represent 70% per cent of the total Overseas Filipino in Kuwait the rest are semi-skilled or skilled OFWs.
As of 2012, there are approximately 40,000 of these Filipinos in Bahrain. Filipinos in Bahrain.
Oman has approximately 52,000 OFWS mostly domestic helpers.
Jordan with 41,000 with domestic helpers.
IN Israel 30,000 caregivers are still in Israel while 2,000 have returned at the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The DFA insists there are only 17,500 HSWs in Lebanon however there are still 5,000 undocumented domestic helpers around.
In the Middle East alone there are 2,410,000 .
The number includes household service workers (HSWs) almost 48%% of the total OFWs in the Middle East.
The current price of crude oil between $ 90-95 USD per barrel is fueling mega-billion construction projects of Saudi Arabia and Qatar that needs thousands of migrant workers all over Asia including from the Philippines.
Another Five Hundred Ninety Two Thousand (592,000) are working in Southeast Asia to include Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The growing economies of these countries demand for OFWs continues unabated straining the current workforce in the country for skilled workers.
While in Europe which covers the United Kingdom, the Eastern Europe bloc of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Romania and Croatia and the Baltic countries of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway a total of 50,000
The new labor markets in Europe have attracted many skilled Filipinos to apply with these countries offering a slightly higher wages compared to the Middle East.
North America figures to include Canada are insufficient from the DMW though most of the OFWs working in those countries are working there to be permanent residents mostly nurses and some skilled workers.
There around 10,000 documented OFWs in California, East Coast and Louisiana many there are working for the oil industry and oil rigs.
The figures were culled from Google and were published to dispel the PSA study of Overseas Filipinos working abroad that is way below the number of OFWs all over the world.
SEAFARERS
The study does not include Filipino seafarers which is around 400,000-500,000 that is one-fourth of the total number seafarers in the world on board ships in the high seas.
If this number is added to the land-based sector 3,100,00 the total number will be 3,600,000 Filipinos working around the world not only 2.13 million.
Spain has around 80,000 Filipinos working as caretakers and domestic helpers however majority of these numbers are permanent residents having acquired through many years of working in that country.
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