The number of unaccounted-for migrant workers declined to 18,209 last year, or 2.78 percent of the total, a record low since 2003, according to Ministry of Labor statistics released on Thursday.
The number of foreign workers who are unaccounted for remained stable at between 3 and 4 percent for a number of years. However, it has seen a significant decline over the past three years and hit a new low last year.
While the total number of foreign workers reached 676,142 last year, the number of unaccounted- for workers dropped to a record low of 2.78 percent of the total, the statistics showed.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
Based on the ministry’s data, 18,209 amounted to only 2.69 percent of 676,142, not 2.78 percent as the ministry’s report said.
The ministry said it has its own way of calculating the “unaccounted” rate.
In 2016, the number of foreign workers whose whereabouts were unknown after leaving their official place of employment stood at 21,708, or 3.59 percent of the total.
Ministry Workforce Development Agency official Hsueh Chien-chung (薛鑑忠) attributed the decline to the introduction of an amendment to the Employment Services Act (就業服務法), which removed the requirement for migrant workers to leave Taiwan every three years, along with the government’s intensified operations against illegal and absconding workers.
As of last year, the number of missing migrant workers totaled 52,317, with Vietnamese workers registering the highest rate at 5.12 percent, followed by Indonesians at 2.91 percent and Filipinos and Thais at 0.37 percent each.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
RSS