Number of foreign caregivers going up sharply, CLA says

The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) is mulling workable measures to gradually cut the number of foreign caregivers an official said yesterday. According to CLA figures, Taiwan had more than 336,900 foreign or migrant workers at the end of last month, up 36,000 from the level a year earlier.

The CLA official attributed the increase mainly to a sharp rise in the number of foreign caregivers, saying that since the hiring system was adjusted early this year, the number of foreign caregivers has increased by more than 23,000.

The council will consult with other relevant government agencies,including the Department of Health and the Ministry of the Interior, to map out a comprehensive package of measures to rein in the employment of foreign caregivers, the official said, adding that the package will be unveiled by the end of next month.

Since the foreign caregiver hiring system was changed early this year, the official said that city and county governments have actively helped promote the employment of local caregivers.

However, due to a combination of factors, including insufficient incentives offered by the government as well as the much higher wages needed to hire local caregivers, the number of applications for foreign caregivers has remained high, the official said.

Of the 336,000 plus foreigners working in Taiwan at present, about 130,000 are caregivers, with the number of foreign nationals working in the manufacturing and construction sectors hovering between160,000 and 170,000. The CLA official said the foreign workforce in the manufacturing and construction sectors has never been a major element in the rise in the number of foreign workers.

If the number of foreign caregivers can be reduced as hoped in the future, the official said the surplus quota will be put forth for use by the manufacturing sector, particularly jobs deemed as "dirty,dangerous and onerous."