Christy Balita
Research expert covering the Philippines
Overseas workers from the Philippines - statistics & facts
Referred to as “modern-day heroes,” labor migrants have been significant contributors to the Philippine economy for many years. Despite the decreasing rate of unemployment, an increasing number of Filipinos have chosen to find employment abroad thanks to higher salaries and better benefits provided by foreign employers. This, in turn, provides an additional income source for the Philippines, as migrant workers consistently send remittances, both in cash and in kind, to support the needs of their families back home. In 2023, the Philippines was the fourth largest recipient of remittance globally, with remittances accounting for nine percent of the country’s GDP.
In terms of employment, the largest share of OFWs deployed in 2023 were re-hires who have land-based employment. Nearly half of the proportion of OFWs have elementary occupations such as cleaning, food preparation, and delivery of goods, while less than two percent have managerial positions. Among those who were newly hired land-based OFWs in 2023, the majority of them—about 158,000—were domestic cleaners and helpers. In addition, about 115,000 OFWs in that year worked as domestic housekeepers, while roughly 13,200 nurses were working abroad. On the other hand, about 385,000 Filipinos were deployed as seafarers in 2022, just slightly higher than the previous year. Most of the seafarers deployed in 2023 work with vessels with a Bahamas flag registry, followed by Panama.
Demographics of overseas Filipino workers
Of the 2.33 million registered overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in 2023, 58 percent were female workers, while the remaining percentage represented male OFWs. The largest share of migrant workers were between the ages of 30 and 34, followed by those 45 years of age and older. In 2022, about 81 percent of OFWs were working in Asia, with the smallest share of workers based in Africa. A 2022 survey revealed that the regions of CALABARZON and Central Luzon were the leading regions of origin for the majority of OFWs.In terms of employment, the largest share of OFWs deployed in 2023 were re-hires who have land-based employment. Nearly half of the proportion of OFWs have elementary occupations such as cleaning, food preparation, and delivery of goods, while less than two percent have managerial positions. Among those who were newly hired land-based OFWs in 2023, the majority of them—about 158,000—were domestic cleaners and helpers. In addition, about 115,000 OFWs in that year worked as domestic housekeepers, while roughly 13,200 nurses were working abroad. On the other hand, about 385,000 Filipinos were deployed as seafarers in 2022, just slightly higher than the previous year. Most of the seafarers deployed in 2023 work with vessels with a Bahamas flag registry, followed by Panama.
Leading sources of migrant remittances
Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the value of cash remittances to the Philippines has not shown any noticeable dips in recent periods. The highest share of remittances were sent by OFWs based in the Americas, followed by those in Asia. However, migrant workers in Africa sent the highest average amount of cash remittances in 2022, higher than the overall average. In 2023, OFWs in the United States sent the highest value of remittances followed by migrant Filipinos in Singapore.Increasing demand for healthcare workers
The COVID-19 pandemic created a rising demand for Filipino healthcare workers abroad. In 2020, over 3,300 nursing professionals were deployed in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Germany. This was forecast to continue growing due to the huge salary gap between local and foreign employers. Presently, the entry-level monthly pay of nurses employed in Philippine government hospitals sits at just 520 U.S. dollars, compared to the average of about 1,700 to 3,000 U.S. dollars in the United Kingdom. To counter the possible shortage of nursing staff, the government imposed an annual ceiling on the deployment of newly hired healthcare workers, which was set at seven thousand in 2020. The ratio of the Filipino population to a public health nurse has declined since 2019.
