NSO: 22.2% of OFWs working in Saudi Arabia

More than a fifth of overseas Filipino workers are working in Saudi Arabia, according to the National Statistics Office.

Data from NSO showed that 22.2 percent of the two million OFWs during the period April to September 2010 worked in Saudi Arabia.

This was higher than the 21.6 percent in the same period in 2009.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia stopped issuing work visas for domestic workers from the Philippines and Indonesia when the two countries imposed stricter conditions on prospective Saudi employers.

Besides Saudi Arabia, the other preferred destinations of OFWs included United Arab Emirates, 15.1 percent; Qatar, 6.3 percent; Singapore, 5.9 percent and Hong Kong, 5.7 percent.

The NSO said 32 percent of the total OFWs in April to September 2010 were laborers and unskilled workers.

Those who worked as service workers and shop and market sales workers made up 15.1 percent; trade and related workers, 14.9 percent and plant and machine operators and assembler, both 14.3 percent.

There were 52.3 percent male OFWs and 47.7 percent female OFWs.

The NSO said that total remittance sent by OFWs during the period April to September 2010 was P 141.2 billion.

These remittances included cash sent home amounting to P104.9 billion; cash brought home, P30.1 billion and remittance in kind, P6.2 billion.

Laborers and unskilled workers comprised the biggest share of the total cash remittance sent by OFWs, with P P20.6 billion or an average remittance of P 39,000 per worker.

The NSO also said that OFWs working in Asia, comprising 80 percent of all OFWs, cornered 70.9 percent of the total cash remittance, the biggest share so far.

The proportions to total cash remittances that came from other countries were: North and South America, 11.7 percent; Europe, 11.3 percent; Africa, 3.8 percent and Australia, 2.3 percent.

Majority of OFWs sent their remittance through bank with 73.7 percent while the rest through door-to-door services, eight percent; agency or local office, 3.1 percent; through friends or co-workers, 0.9 percent or through other means, 14.4 percent.*PNA