The United Kingdom wants to hire 50,000 nurses until 2024 as the country opens its labor market for more job opportunities for foreign workers including Filipino professionals.
Philippine Labor Attaché to London Amuerfina Reyes said that apart from higher demand in health care services, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) also noted an increasing demand for workers in the financial sector, specifically for positions such as accountants, comptrollers, auditors.
There are also opportunities in the agriculture sector as seasonal workers.
“Based on the job orders that we have been receiving, there are emerging opportunities for our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) here in the financial sector. We can see an increase in the demand for accountants and auditors. Another opportunity is up for those seasonal agriculture workers in the potato farms,” Reyes said.
“Upon their arrival here in the UK, nurses are getting £19 to £20,000 (PHP1.4 million) per year. If they pass the exam, just like the one PRC administers in the Philippines, they will receive £23,000 to £24,000 (PHP1.7 million) per year. They are getting more from overtime pay, on top of their opportunity of becoming permanent residents after 5 years, if their track records are clean,” the POLO official added.
The Philippine government has so far exempted the UK from the annual deployment cap of 6,500 healthcare workers.
