Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Austria forge stronger ties, upbeat over job opportunities for Filipino skilled workers

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The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Republic of Austria reaffirm their long-standing friendship and mutual labor cooperation during the kick-off of Philippines-Austria Friendship Week on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at the DMW Head Office in Mandaluyong City.

The partnership ensures the safe and ethical recruitment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers and paves the way for a brighter future for both nations.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac emphasized that the celebration aims to enhance cooperation in upholding safe and fair labor migration, with an unwavering focus on protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). This commitment, he notes, is a significant contribution to the growth of Austria’s economy and ensures the security and well-being of Filipino workers.

“Austria is home to more than 5,000 Filipino migrants, mostly employed in the hospitality, food service, and healthcare sectors. We are here not just to celebrate the mutual friendship between the two nations but also to collaborate on other areas of cooperation continuously, particularly on the deployment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers,” Cacdac said.

Last year, the Republic of Austria indicated interest in hiring around 500 Filipino workers annually to meet its demand for around 75,000 to 200,000 job openings across all industries, including healthcare, construction and engineering, information technology, and tourism and hospitality sectors.

“Austria has many decades of excellent experience with qualified workers from the Philippines, especially in the healthcare sector. We are grateful for the reliable support of well-educated and skilled Filipino workers who help us address our labor demands. Likewise, we want to ensure the highest protection standard by committing to safe and ethical labor migration,” said Director General Georg Konetzky of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy.

Secretary Cacdac also announced the opening of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Vienna in the third quarter of the year to support the increasing number of OFWs in Austria and provide guidance to Austrian employers on the legal process of recruiting and deploying Filipino workers.

The MWO in Milan, Italy, which holds concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Austria, noted a 127% increase in the deployment of Filipino workers to Austria in 2022, making the country an emerging labor market in Central Europe.