Workers needed in US construction, oil industries

MANILA, Philippines – More workers in the construction and oil industries are needed in the United States this year, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

POEA deputy administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said the US is again opening its doors to foreign workers more than a year after the onset of the global financial crisis.

“The US economy is slowly recovering, which is good news for us because that means they are ready to open employment for foreign workers,” he said.

Cacdac said employment opportunities in the US and other countries are brighter this year.

“We are looking at recovery for overseas jobs, including in the United States, where we see positive employment growth this year,” he said.

POEA director Stella Banawis said they also see higher demand for OFWs in traditional markets like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore and other Asian countries like Malaysia and Brunei.

“We have 13,000 job orders for nurses as well as seasonal workers in US last year, some of them vacancies that have yet to be filled and we can use them in 2010,” she said.

The POEA will continue looking for additional markets for more than a million Filipino workers this year, according to administrator Jennifer Manalili.

In local employment, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque projected 5,000 additional jobs for the animation industry and about 150,000 more employment in call centers this year.

“Call centers are now operating outside Metro Manila like in Cebu, Baguio and Davao which means hiring of more people in the provinces,” he said.

Meanwhile, recruitment industry leaders have called for the holding of an overseas employment summit to address the shortage of qualified workers.

“We should be addressing the manpower shortage so we could be ready for the economic rebound of the US and other countries,” recruitment official Lito Soriano said.  –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)