South Korea allots 7,000 jobs for OFWs

MANILA, Philippines - Over 7,000 jobs await highly skilled overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in South Korea, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported recently.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said South Korea has resumed hiring foreign workers and allocated over 7,000 jobs for OFWs.

“For this year, the Philippines’ quota for workers is 7,100, which is higher than last year’s allocation of 5,700,” Roque said.

So far, Roque said, 6,445 Filipinos aspiring to work in South Korea have taken the Korean Language Test at various testing centers nationwide. The South Korean government requires aspiring workers to pass the KLT.

He said the examinations conducted in Manila, Pampanga, Baguio, Cebu, Davao went smoothly. 

According to Roque, the government of South Korea temporarily stopped hiring foreign workers, but later allocated slots for Filipinos after imposing stricter requirements.

Roque said South Korean government prefers to hire Filipino workers and is ready to conduct another KLT if few Filipinos pass the first test.

Under the Employment Permit System (EPS) of South Korea, Roque said Filipino workers can earn $1,000 a month.