Filipino skilled workers are seeing a surge in opportunities across Central and Eastern Europe as these countries are demanding more workers beyond the Middle Eastern countries.

These countries include Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac highlighted the trend, attributing the surge to economic shifts in the region.

“We know for sure that in Central and Eastern Europe, having joined the European Union, they see themselves as competitive enough to develop and bring forth development and prosperity,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Data from the Department of Migrant Workers showed that Germany currently leads in the number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), with over 12,000 deployed this year, followed by Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia.

The Czech Republic has notably increased its quota for Filipino workers, doubling the annual limit from 5,500 to 10,300, primarily for non-healthcare positions. Croatia, for its part, is preparing to open jobs for caregivers and hotel workers, while Austria anticipates needing up to 200,000 workers in the coming years.

Most jobs available to Filipinos in the region are in industries such as healthcare, construction, information technology, tourism and hospitality, caregiving, and automotive repair and manufacturing.

Although opportunities are expanding, Cacdac cautioned that many of these programs are still in the early stages.

“It’s still in the early stages [of job availability]. Don’t fall for job offers online because there is a proper way of doing things,” the secretary said.