US demand for OFWs seen to decline under Trump

ABS-CBN News
MANILA - US demand for Filipino workers could slow down due to US President-elect Donald Trump's protectionist stand, according to an executive of overseas jobs website WorkAbroad.ph. 
"There might be an effect on demand for OFWs, but let's hope for the best," said WorkAbroad.ph business unit head Rhea Suiza in a press conference on Wednesday. 
The impact on job opportunities for Filipinos, however, may not be that significant, given the limited number of openings in the US. 
There were only 1,225 job postings in the US for Filipinos from January to September 2016, based on a study by WorkAbroad.ph. 
Middle East countries were still the top destinations for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the first 9 months of 2016.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, had the most number of job postings for Filipinos, WorkAbroad.ph said.
Of the 117,696 overseas jobs offered from January to September 2016, 46,026 or 39 percent were in Saudi Arabia, the study said.
Demand for Filipino workers from private companies in Saudi Arabia remains high despite the drop in oil prices, Suiza said.
Qatar had the second highest number of jobs for OFWs with 11,991 postings, followed by United Arab Emirates with 6,670 and Kuwait with 3,456.
Bahrain had 2,433 jobs for Filipinos overseas while Oman had 1,950.
Suiza said, aside from Middle East countries and the US, other countries that need services of Filipinos include New Zealand and Germany.
HIGHEST-PAYING COUNTRIES
Two Middle East countries also topped the list of highest paying countries for OFWs deployed, the job portal said.
Those working in the healthcare industry were paid an average of P253,826 a month in the United Arab Emirates while those in the aviation industry were paid an average of P209,700 a month.
Nurses and medical assistants in Canada and New Zealand were paid an average monthly salary of P172,500.
Filipinos working in public relations and communications were paid P138,000 while architects and interior designers in Bahrain were paid P113,030. 
Last year's highest-paying country, the United States, was bumped off this year's list because of a decline in the number of job postings, WorkAbroad.ph said.

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