LABUpdates

ISSN 0118-8747

S TA T
BUREAU OF
L ABOR AND
E MPLOYMENT
STATISTICS
Department of Labor and Employment
Manila, Philippines

Vol. 7 No. 13 July 2003

SUPPLY AND DEMAND SITUATIONER

FOR NURSES

INTRODUCTION the Commission on Higher Education

This report is part of a series of
articles focusing on supply and demand
situation of selected occupations which are
considered critical to national planning in
education, training and employment.
SUPPLY OF NURSES
Number of Graduates
Graduates of medical and allied
services ranked fifth among the top five
(5) courses which registered the biggest
number of graduates in 2000. Data from
(CHED) showed that 30,953 students or
8.8 percent of the total 350,807 graduates
in 2000 were from this field of study while
the bulk of the graduates came from
business (29.8%), education (17.2%),
engineering (12.7%) and mathematics
and computer science (9.7%).
Available data series covering the
period 1995-2000, however, indicate that
graduates of medical and related field
steadily posted declines from its 1995
level where it ranked second with the
largest volume of graduates.

Table 1. TOP FIVE COLLEGE COURSES IN TERMS OF GRADUATES,

PHILIPPINES: 1995 – 2000
Field of Study
Total Business Medicine
Year Tertiary Mathematics
& &
Graduates Education Engineering & Computer Others
Related Related
Science
Field Field

1995 312,667 85,781 43,674 46,090 21,338 49,802 65,982

1996 328,120 96,665 45,545 38,919 19,494 47,483 80,014
1997 335,257 90,942 42,197 40,639 25,055 36,206 100,218
1998 307,027 93,612 43,959 40,501 25,999 34,325 68,631
1999 334,564 101,631 51,826 42,064 30,018 35,348 73,677
2000 350,807 104,537 60,415 44,558 34,015 30,953 76,329

Source of data: Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

 Table 2 – GRADUATES IN MEDICAL AND ALLIED SERVICES BY COURSE,
Over the six-year PHILIPPINES: 1995-2000
period, the number of Total Course
graduate students in this Graduates
Physical &
field has fallen steadily by Year in Medical &
Nursing Midwifery Medicine Occupational Others
as much as 37.8 percent Related
Therapist
Services
from 49,802 to 30,953.
1995 49,802 20,098 6,420 5,347 5,642 12,295
This downward trend can 1996 47,483 19,162 6,121 5,098 5,379 11,723
be attributed to the decline 1997 36,206 14,611 4,667 3,887 4,102 8,939
in the number of graduates 1998 34,325 11,720 3,195 2,312 5,827 11,271
in nursing which accounted 1999 35,348 9,219 2,768 2,664 8,722 11,975
for the bulk of the total 2000 30,953 5,980 2,353 2,345 8,638 11,637
TOTAL 234,117 80,790 25,524 21,653 38,310 67,840
graduates (34.5%) during
% to
the period and graduates of Total
100.0 34.5 10.9 9.2 16.4 29.0
midwifery (10.9%) and Note: Data on graduates by course from 1995 to 1997 were estimates based on the average percent distribution of
medicine (9.2%). The registered professionals for the period 1998-2000.
Source of basic data: Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
decline, however, has been
period covering 1981 to 2000, the PRC
partly offset by the increase in the
registered a total of 428,523 successful
number of graduates for
qualifiers in the various medical licensure
physical/occupational therapist which
examinations held over the past two
grew by 53.1 percent over the period and
decades (Table 3).
increases of graduates in other related
courses such as radiological technician The bulk of the board passers
and x-ray technologist. (73.2% or 313,676) were recorded during
the last eleven years (1990-2000). For the
Number of Registered Nurses and
period, an average of 28,516 new medical
Related Medical Professional Workers
professionals passed the various board
The stock or the supply of examinations given by the Commission
professional nurses in the country can be each year. However, data showed that
obtained from the Registry of Professional the number of board passers peaked in
Medical Workers of the Professional 1993 to 1995 and decline rapidly
thereafter.
Regulation Commission (PRC). For the
Table 3 –QUALIFIERS IN MEDICAL LICENSURE EXAMINATION BY TYPE,
PHILIPPINES: 1981-2000
Licensure Examination
Total
Registered Therapy
Year (Physical/
Medical Nursing Midwifery Medicine Pharmacy Others
Professionals Occupa-
tional
1981-1989 114,847 50,217 25,051 21,417 5,536 1,091 11,535
1990-2000 313,676 172,821 62,911 26,333 15,552 11,053 25,006
1990 19,020 9,100 4,471 3,911 848 203 487
1991 19,216 9,165 6,681 1,415 1,359 131 465
1992 28,795 15,986 7,399 3,119 1,155 369 767
1993 45,437 30,921 9,677 2,809 1,107 578 345
1994 46,342 29,445 8,022 2,558 1,621 559 4,137
1995 43,284 27,272 8,833 2,176 1,498 699 2,806
1996 29,983 15,697 6,292 2,207 1,296 813 3,678
1997 23,272 11,697 4,017 1,876 1,447 1,093 3,142
1998 21,162 9,441 3,503 1,812 1,702 1,600 3,104
1999 20,103 8,313 2,278 2,276 1,897 2,445 2,894
2000 17,062 5,784 1,738 2,174 1,622 2,563 3,181
TOTAL 428,523 223,038 87,962 47,750 21,088 12,144 36,541
% to Total 100.0 52.0 20.5 11.1 4.9 2.8 8.4
Annual
21,426 11,152 4,398 2,387 1,054 607 1,827
Average
Notes: 1. Other Professions include Nutritionist/Dietician, Optometrist, Medical Technologist, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Radiological Technician and X-
Ray Technologist.
2. Data series for Radiological Technicians started only in 1994.
3. Data series for Occupational Therapist, Medical Technologist., Medical Laboratory Technologist and X-Ray Technologist started only in 1996.
Source of basic data: Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

2
 By field of study, nurses comprised Another important source of data is
the biggest groups as they accounted for the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of the
more than one-half (52.0% or 223,038) of National Statistics Office, which provides
total successful examinees. The next the official source of statistics on
larger groups were: midwives (87,962), employment and unemployment in the
physicians (47,750), pharmacists country. Data from this source can be
(21,088) and therapists (12,144). The obtained from the public use files (PUFs)
rest (36,541) were composed of of the LFS, which enable users to generate
nutritionist/dietician, optometrist, medical special tabulations of occupational data at
technologist, medical laboratory three-digit level. This data, however,
technician, radiological technician and x- should be treated as indicative in nature
ray technologist. as they could be subject to sampling
errors.
It can be observed that the
number of registered nurses and midwives Domestic Demand
followed almost identical growth pattern
over the period 1990 to 2000 – gradual Estimates based on the October
increases from 1990 to 1992, sharp 2001 round of the Labor Force Survey
increments in 1993 to 1995 and a slowing placed the stock or numbers of employed
down until 2000. On the other hand, a health professional workers in the country
stable annual growth was observed for at 170,000. Of this number, 44.7 percent
physicians and pharmacists. Note also or 76,000 were nurses and midwives while
that physical/occupational therapist was the rest or 94,000 were other medical
the only profession that registered steady professional workers (note that three-digit
increases during the period. level data lumped nursing and midwifery
together under one occupational group).
DEMAND FOR NURSES The government employed the biggest
number of nurses/midwives absorbing
The analysis of demand for nurses nearly one-half (48.7% or 37,000) of total
and other related professions is severely employed nurses/midwives. An almost
restricted by the absence of systematic equal proportion (47.4% or 36,000) was
collection of employment data from employed in private establishments.
administrative records. The Department of
Health (DOH) and other Table 4 – EMPLOYED NURSES, MIDWIVES AND OTHER HEALTH
government agencies such as the PROFESSIONALS, PHILIPPINES: OCTOBER 2001
Department of Budget and (in thousands)
Management (DBM) and Civil Total Occupation
Service Commission (CSC) do not Employed Nursing and
Class of Worker Other Health
regularly compile data series on Medical Midwifery
Professionals Professionals Professionals
these groups of workers.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Nurses Wage and Salary Worker 139 74 65
Association (PNA) provides an - Private
alternative source of information Household/Own 2 * 1
but their estimates may need Family-Operated Bus.
further validation in terms of - Private Establishment 78 36 42
coverage and accuracy. Based on - Government/Gov’t
59 37 22
Corp.
the PNA 2002 survey, the number
Employer in Own Family-
of nurses employed locally stood at 8 - 8
Operated Business
only 26,669 while the bulk or
Self-employed 23 2 21
170,000 were employed overseas.
TOTAL 170 76 94
* Less than 1,000.
Source of data: National Statistics Office, Labor Force Survey.

3
 Table 5 – EMIGRANT FILIPINO PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL WORKERS,
BY FIELD OF SPECIALIZATION, PHILIPPINES: 1988 -2001
No. of Emigrants
Professional Profession Other Medical
Year (Medical Therapist
Nurse al Midwife Professions
Professionals)
1988-1990 6,943 3,860 244 39 2,800
1991-1995 10,911 5,577 434 411 4,489
1996-2000 6,175 2,863 310 109 2,893
2001 2,388 1,575 44 56 713
TOTAL 26,417 13,875 1,032 615 10,895
Source of data: Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO).

Foreign Demand
The majority (83.0% or 11,511) of
Permanent Migration Filipino nurses who left the country during
the same period migrated to the United
Demand for Filipino nurses States. Apart from the United States, the
abroad as well as related professions has two other countries which registered a
grown steadily over the past two decades. fairly large number of Filipino migrant
Records from the Commission of Filipino nurses were Canada and Australia. (Table
Overseas (CFO) revealed that from 1988 6)
to 2000, a total of 24,029 medical
professionals have migrated permanently Temporary Migration
to other countries for various reasons. In
2001, another group of 2,388 medical Temporary migration accounted for
professionals were added in the CFO list of biggest source of demand for Filipino
emigrants. nurses abroad. Over the ten-year period
1992-2002 (as of October), the Philippine
It is interesting to note that Overseas Employment Administration
nurses constituted the single largest group (POEA) recorded a total deployment of
of Filipino medical professional emigrants 83,394 Filipino nurses. In the last three
as they accounted for over one-half years, deployment of nurses has
(52.5% or 13,875) of the total migrants increased by almost three-folds compared
registered by the CFO. Midwives ranked a to the deployments posted in previous
distant second (3.9% or 1,032) while the years. (Table 7)
rest were composed of therapists, medical
technologists, physicians, pharmacist,
radio or x-ray technicians, nutritionists
and optometrists. (Table 5)
Table 6 –EMIGRANT FILIPINO PROFESSIONAL NURSES BY COUNTRY
OF DESTINATION, PHILIPPINES: 1988-2001
No. of
United Rest of the
Year Professional Canada Australia
States World
Nurses Emigrants
1988-1990 3,860 3,266 262 235 97
1991-1995 5,577 4,574 606 186 211
1996-2000 2,863 2,290 341 115 117
2001 1,575 1,381 141 39 14
TOTAL 13,875 11,511 1,350 575 439
Source of data: Commission on Filipino Overseas (CFO).

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 Table 7 – DEPLOYMENT OF FILIPINO NURSES BY COUNTRY OF DESTINATION,
PHILIPPINES: 1992-2002
Country of Destination
No. of United
Year Deployed Rest
Saudi United Kingdom United Arab
Nurses Kuwait Libya of the
Arabia States and Emirates
World
Ireland
1992 6,078 3,279 1,767 0 271 320 269 172
1993 7,308 4,202 1,987 0 47 139 721 212
1994 7,171 3,332 2,853 0 270 455 15 246
1995 7,954 3,249 3,690 0 94 59 380 482
1996 5,477 3,071 270 0 137 269 809 921
1997 5,245 3,794 11 0 209 25 175 1,031
1998 5,399 4,098 5 63 279 143 89 722
1999 5,972 4,031 53 934 378 53 18 505
2000 8,341 4,386 91 2,755 305 133 17 654
2001 13,822 5,275 304 6,949 249 192 9 844
2002 (as of October) 10,627 5,083 295 3,633 367 104 345 800
TOTAL 83,394 43,800 11,326 14,334 2,606 1,892 2,847 6,589
Source of data: Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

By country of destination, Saudi from 1981 to 2001. On the other hand,

Arabia, United Kingdom/Ireland and the
United States were the top three leading
markets for Filipino Nurses. Saudi Arabia
absorbed over one-half (52.5% or 43,800)
of the country’s annual deployment of
nurses since 1992. On the other hand,
the rise in demand for nurses in
UK/Ireland was fairly recent as
deployment started only in 1998. In
contrast, deployment to the United States
starting 1997 had declined drastically,
from its peak in 1994 and 1995. Other
countries that registered notable number
of nurses were United Arab Emirates,
Kuwait and Libya.
CONCLUSION
A meaningful assessment of the
current supply and demand for nurses is
severely constrained by the inadequate
data on employment, particularly data
series on domestic and overseas
employment. Given this limitation, an
attempt was made in this report to make
some estimates and assumptions to fill in
these data gaps based on historical data
available. This exercise is not designed to
produce definitive results but rather to
provide an indicative scenario of the
current supply and demand for nurses
bearing in mind the inadequacy of
available data.
For purposes of this report, the
total supply or stock of nurses covers all
professional nurses registered by the PRC
demand for nurses is the sum of nurses
employed domestically (based on October
2001 LFS results) and estimates of
emigrant and deployed nurses from 1981
to 2001.
As indicated in Table 8, the
estimated supply of nurses in 2001 barely
exceeds the demand for nurses, 234,000
and 222,000, respectively. This situation
is rather precarious as this small surplus
can easily be wiped out in the next few
years.
There are two reasons for the
possibility of shortage to occur in the very
near future. First, the number of
graduates and supply of registered nurses
since 1995 have slowed down
considerably as discussed earlier and it
will take perhaps another two or three
years for the figure to pick up again.
Second, the demand for nurses abroad
has been growing at a very rapid rate due
to the aging of population in most
developed countries. In the US alone, it is
projected that some 700,000 to 900,000
nurses will be required in the next 15
years to meet the demands of their aging
population (Daily Herald, July 21, 2002).
As observed in the past few years, US and
Canadian-based hospitals have launched
an aggressive recruitment campaigns to
lure Filipino nurses by offering attractive
pay packages including migration for their
families.

5
 Table 8 - SUPPLY-DEMAND SITUATION OF THE NURSING PROFESSION,
PHILIPPINES: 1981-2001
(in thousands)
SUPPLY DEMAND
Surplus/(Gap)
(Registered Professional Nurses) (Employed Nurses)
1981-2000 (PRC data) = 223 Domestic Employment
2001 (estimate) = 11 Oct. 2001 (LFS data) = 54

Overseas Employment = 168

Total = 234
Assumption:
The estimated supply of
registered nurses for 2001 was
computed as the average annual
qualifiers in the PRC
examinations from 1981 to 2000.
Emigrant:
1981-1987 (estimate) = 9
1988-2001 (CFO data) = 14
Sub-Total = 23
Deployment:
1981-1991 (estimate) = 72
1992-2001 (POEA data) = 73
Sub-Total = 145
Total = 222 12
Assumptions:
1. Domestic employment was computed as
71.1 percent of 76,000 total nurses and
midwives employed in Oct. 2001 (Table
4). This ratio was derived from the 1981-
2000 data on total registered nurses and
midwives (Table 3).
2. Estimate of emigration for the period
1981-1987 was derived by computing
the average migration for the period
1988-1990 and multiplied by seven
years.
3. Estimate of deployment for the period
1981-1991 was derived by computing
the average deployment for the period
1992-2000 and multiplied by 11 years.

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