There are at least 2.2 million Filipinos who opted to work abroad in April to September 2011 alone, a figure higher than the estimated 2 million OFWs for the same period in 2010, the NSO said.
Of this number, over half (52.2 percent) are male overseas workers, and most are relatively young coming from the age group 25-29 years old (23.6 percent) and 30 to 34 years old (22.6 percent), NSO said in a statement released Tuesday.
Most of Pinoy workers abroad (32.7 percent) are laborers are "unskilled workers"; while some 15.5 percent work as service workers and shop and sales workers.
Interestingly, NSO noted that most OFWs hail from Calabarzon (16.5 percent), Central Luzon (14.3 percent) and NCR (12.5 percent)
"Saudi Arabia continued to be the leading destination of OFWs with 22.6 percent of the total OFWs working in this country during the period April to September 2011. The other countries in Asia which were popular destinations of OFWs were United Arab Emirates (14.6 percent), Qatar (6.9 percent), Singapore (6.3 percent) and Hong Kong (5.3 percent)," added NSO.
Meanwhile, remittances were also higher, said NSO.
OFWs have also sent in at least 156.3 billion pesos for April to Semptember 2011 alone, an amount higher compared to 2010's reported remittances which was pegged at 141.2 billion pesos.
