Baldoz warns Pinoys on false info on Spain labor market

Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz warned overseas Filipino workers and prospective OFWs against entertaining false information that purports to portray employment prospects in Spain.

 

 "The prospects for the employment of migrants in Spain is not good, so Filipinos who may be eyeing work in Spain should not believe any information saying otherwise," said Baldoz.

 

 Baldoz said she received a report from Philippine Labor Attache to Spain Ramon T. Tionloc Jr. saying that while unemployment amongst Filipinos already in Spain has remained relatively low complained with other migrant nationalities, prospects for the employment of more OFWs is not desirable.

 

 Most Filipinos in Spain, said Tionloc, are employed in the bar, restaurants, and hotel sector, which has suffered from the slowdown in tourist arrivals in 2009 and 2010 and had created underemployment for some Filipinos in terms of reduced number of working hours. It is only now that the sector is slowly recovering, Tionloc said.

 

 Tionloc, in his report said that Spain ended the first quarter of 2011 with an unemployment rate of 21.3%, the highest in the European Union.

 

 "I would, therefore, advise OFWs to be wary of offers of employment in Spain, particularly in construction, real estate, and manufacturing. Migrant workers in these sectors are mostly Latin Americans so much so that Asians, such as Filipinos, may find hard to get any employed in those sectors," Baldoz said.

 

 She also advised OFWs or prospective OFWs to validate any information on the Spain labor market with proper authorities, such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, or the Spanish Embassy in Manila.

 

DOLE Press Release 2011-08-01