OFWs see bleak prospects for 2010

MANILA, Philippines – The outlook for overseas employment opportunities in 2010 is bleak with international labor markets virtually closed because most economies are still hurting from the onslaught of the global financial crisis.

The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) said job orders from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, considered the best countries for expatriates, have stopped.

Australia has dodged recession in the second half of the year but has started cutting back on immigration since the first quarter of the year when recession threatened its economy.

New Zealand emerged from recession in the second half of the year but its economy is still expected to be bumpy in the following months.

Canada exited recession in the third quarter of the year. “Those markets are have dried up and only the Middle East countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Libya are hiring workers,” said FAME director Lito Soriano

Japan, which pledged to absorb Filipino nurses into its workforce under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), hired only 30 Filipino nurses and caregivers a few months ago.

Japan came out of recession in the third quarter of this year.

South Korea and Taiwan, also hired fewer foreign workers this year.

South Korea avoided an economic slump, while Taiwan pulled out of economic downturn in the second quarter.

Guam, a United States territory, has also cut back on hiring foreign workers.

In a related development, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warned Filipino nurses of new employment scams in the US.

POEA chief Jennifer Manalili said the agency received a report from the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa that a certain Agerico

Gabriel allegedly uses the email address hansbeda@aol.com to supposedly recruit nurses via the non-existent Medical Caregiver Management agency.

For their own protection, we are reminding our Filipino nurses to be vigilant about the modus operandi of illegal recruiters by checking out the legitimacy of the person and the existing agency,” Manalili said.

POEA said employment opportunities for nurses in the US are down because the world’s largest economy has just emerged from recession. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)