AUSTRIAN companies are stepping up efforts to recruit skilled Filipino professionals across healthcare, technology, hospitality and engineering sectors, according to Arnulf Gressel, commercial counsellor of the Austrian Embassy Commercial Section.
In an interview during trade delegation’s business mission to Cebu on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Gressel said Austria faces an increasing need for skilled labor and is actively seeking recruitment partnerships in the Philippines.
“The Philippines has the system in place. You’ve got the education, qualification and the skill sets are there. That system gives us assurance that they will not run away once they get there or do something else,” he said. “The system you have keeps both sides secured.”
The Austrian delegation met with executives of Magsaysay People Resources Corp. and its business units, Magsaysay Global Services and Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, as well as local officials and business chambers.
While healthcare remains a priority sector, demand is also rising for professionals in tourism, metalworking, machinery and IT.
“We are unlike other markets where they can only stay for two or three years, go home and come back again. In Austria you can get your permanent residence, get your spouse and children and start a new life there,” Gressel added, noting Austria’s appeal as a long-term destination.
According to a 2024 report, Austria is home to more than 5,000 Filipino migrants, mostly employed in the hospitality, food service and healthcare sectors.
Marlon Rono, president of Magsaysay People Resources, said over 100 Filipinos have been deployed by the company to Austria in the hospitality sector since last year.
The company is currently training 150 healthcare workers for deployment, with German language training taking up to seven months.
“The challenging part for healthcare is that Filipinos must learn their language as they are going to take care of elderly patients,” Rono said.
Rono emphasized Austria’s strong labor protections, high wages and quality of life, calling it one of the most attractive destinations for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Europe.
“Filipinos stand out because of their strong work ethic, compassionate nature, well-rounded education and English proficiency,” he said.
Austria is emerging as a key labor market for OFWs, with a 127 percent increase in deployments reported in 2022.
The Philippine government has responded by establishing Migrant Workers Offices in Austria to better support the growing Filipino community. / KOC