The Department of Migrant Workers said that Austria is hiring more Filipino skilled workers to meet its labor demand across all industries and contribute to the growth of its economy.

On Wednesday, the DMW and the Republic of Austria reaffirmed their long-standing friendship and mutual labor cooperation during the kick-off of the Philippines-Austria Friendship Week in Mandaluyong City.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that the occasion does not only celebrate the mutual friendship between the two nations but also enhances collaboration in other areas of cooperation, with a particular focus on the deployment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers.

Cacdac said Austria has expressed an intent to hire an additional 500 workers annually, and its start is still being finalized.

In 2022, there was a 127 percent increase in the deployment of Filipino workers to Austria, making it an emerging labor market in Central Europe.

“Austria is home to more than 5,000 Filipino migrants, mostly employed in the hospitality, food service, and healthcare sectors,” Cacdac said.

He said the partnership between the two countries not only ensures the safe and ethical recruitment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers but also paves the way for a brighter future for both nations.

Cacdac said that strengthening understanding and cooperation between the Philippines and Austria will ensure safe and fair labor migration, and the protection of the rights, welfare, overall security, and well-being of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Austria Federal Ministry of Labor and Economy Director General Georg Konetzky said that Austria has many decades of excellent experience with qualified workers from the Philippines, especially in the healthcare sector.

“We are grateful for the reliable support of well-educated and skilled Filipino workers helping us address our labor demands. Likewise, we want to ensure the highest protection standard by committing to safe and ethical labor migration,” Konetzky said.

Meanwhile, Cacdac announced that a Migrant Worker’s Office (MWO) would be opened in Vienna in the third quarter of the year to support the increasing number of OFWs in Austria.

The MWO would also provide guidance to interested Austrian employers on the legal process of recruiting and deploying Filipino workers.

Currently, Austria is under the jurisdiction of the DMWs MWO in Milan, Italy. (PNA)