RECRUITMENT analyst Emmanuel Geslani on Sunday, September 13, 2026, said there is an observed slowdown in the hiring of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in 2026 with the prolonged crisis in the Middle East seen as the main cause.
In a statement, Geslani said the war set off a fierce wave of regional violence, which disrupted not only individual lives, but also broader, vital cogs in the economic activities of Middle East nations.
“There was a slight decrease in job orders, particularly household service workers, due to a slow normalization in Middle East countries," said Geslani.
He also said there is an observed drop in hiring for professionals, as well as highly skilled and skilled workers in other parts of the world.
"A visible slowdown was noticed due to slow recovery of the economy and tourism, as well," said Geslani.
A look at the deployment numbers of OFWs in the current year indeed showed they are down from the numbers seen during the first seven months of 2025.
Data from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) showed that there are a total of 980,673 OFWs deployed between January to July 2026.
This is 34 percent lower compared to the 1,486,756 OFWs deployed during the same period im 2025.
Among land-based OFWs, the Department said there were a total of 853,207 individuals deployed in different countries.
It is lower by 25 percent from the 1,148,637 land-based OFWs deployed last year during the same period.
As for sea-based OFWs, the DMW said there were 127,466 seafarers deployed to different vessels.
The number is a 62 percent drop from the 338,119 seafarers deployed last year. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
