Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) officials said yesterday they are mulling whether to lift restrictions on the hiring of foreign labor as the economy gradually recovers and demand for manual labor rises.
The latest statistics from the Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training (BEVT) showed that as of the end of last month, the number of foreigners working in labor-intensive industries or as caregivers and household help exceeded 362,000.
The number of foreign laborers has reached a new peak since the beginning of last year, when the global financial crisis led to a slowing of production and prompted the council to cut foreign labor quotas in “3K” industries to provide more job opportunities for Taiwanese.
The “3K” category refers to jobs that involve manual labor, unsanitary or dangerous working conditions. Companies in the manufacturing, construction and high-tech industries are among the top employers of foreign labor because of the difficulty in finding Taiwanese willing to fill such positions.
Council officials said that in June last year, the number of foreign workers was about 8 percent lower than the same period in 2008, mainly due to the cutting of foreign labor quotas and the drop in demand for the country’s exports. However, since then, companies have gradually ramped up production and hired more foreign workers to cope with increased demand.
Council officials said that the loosening of restrictions on “3K” industries hiring manual foreign labor may come into effect as early as August.
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