Hotels permitted to hire migrant workers as early as November
Taiwan plans to open up its lodging industry to migrant workers, in order to solve a labor shortage. According to transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai, the policy has been drafted and sent to the labor ministry for review. It could take effect as early as November, just in time for the winter holidays. But experts fear that cheap labor will affect the domestic job market, depressing wages and threatening local livelihoods.
White sheets are laid, pillows are fluffed, and the bed is ready to welcome the next guest. As tourism booms post-pandemic, hotels are making up for their COVID-era losses with every holiday. But a labor shortage is limiting the speed of recovery.
Huang Jeng-tsong
Providence University tourism professor
Notably, in remote areas, the labor shortage actually began five or six years ago, when tourist numbers began to rise. And then over the past few years, we had the pandemic. That extended the labor shortage even to cities.
Some large hotels have partnered with universities or are considering hiring retirees, in order to fill the worker shortfall. But with the shortage at 25 to 30% across the lodging industry, the Tourism Administration plans to open up the market to migrant workers. It aims to roll out the policy in November, just in time for the winter holidays.
Huang Jeng-tsong
Providence University tourism professor
Hotel housekeeping and cleaning work can be quite grueling. So even if salaries are raised to support recruitment, it’s still not easy to find workers.
Labor unions say that post-pandemic hotel prices have been sky-high, yet employers have not raised their wages accordingly, leading to employee attrition. They say that introducing cheap labor is a quick fix, but it doesn’t address the reason why hotels are understaffed.
Yang Tsung-pin
Jobseekers’ website spokesperson
If the industry is opened up to migrant workers, a salary threshold should be set, so that the policy doesn’t drag down industry wages and affect local workers. Today there are many middle-aged and senior workers who are willing to enter the lodging industry. When looking for a job, this group is at a relative disadvantage. The introduction of migrant workers could affect their employment opportunities.
Wang Kwo-tsai
Transport minister
In the lodging industry and especially in cleaning roles, there is a serious shortage of workers. We have had long discussions on this with the Ministry of Labor. And now we’ve proposed a preliminary plan, but we need to finalize it with the Ministry of Labor.
With the national labor market shifting, hotels aren’t the only ones struggling to hire. The manufacturing industry opened up to migrant workers this June. But as the government solves the labor shortfall, it faces the second test of easing the impact on domestic workers.
Taiwan plans to open up its lodging industry to migrant workers, in order to solve a labor shortage. According to transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai, the policy has been drafted and sent to the labor ministry for review. It could take effect as early as November, just in time for the winter holidays. But experts fear that cheap labor will affect the domestic job market, depressing wages and threatening local livelihoods.
White sheets are laid, pillows are fluffed, and the bed is ready to welcome the next guest. As tourism booms post-pandemic, hotels are making up for their COVID-era losses with every holiday. But a labor shortage is limiting the speed of recovery.
Huang Jeng-tsong
Providence University tourism professor
Notably, in remote areas, the labor shortage actually began five or six years ago, when tourist numbers began to rise. And then over the past few years, we had the pandemic. That extended the labor shortage even to cities.
Some large hotels have partnered with universities or are considering hiring retirees, in order to fill the worker shortfall. But with the shortage at 25 to 30% across the lodging industry, the Tourism Administration plans to open up the market to migrant workers. It aims to roll out the policy in November, just in time for the winter holidays.
Huang Jeng-tsong
Providence University tourism professor
Hotel housekeeping and cleaning work can be quite grueling. So even if salaries are raised to support recruitment, it’s still not easy to find workers.
Labor unions say that post-pandemic hotel prices have been sky-high, yet employers have not raised their wages accordingly, leading to employee attrition. They say that introducing cheap labor is a quick fix, but it doesn’t address the reason why hotels are understaffed.
Yang Tsung-pin
Jobseekers’ website spokesperson
If the industry is opened up to migrant workers, a salary threshold should be set, so that the policy doesn’t drag down industry wages and affect local workers. Today there are many middle-aged and senior workers who are willing to enter the lodging industry. When looking for a job, this group is at a relative disadvantage. The introduction of migrant workers could affect their employment opportunities.
Wang Kwo-tsai
Transport minister
In the lodging industry and especially in cleaning roles, there is a serious shortage of workers. We have had long discussions on this with the Ministry of Labor. And now we’ve proposed a preliminary plan, but we need to finalize it with the Ministry of Labor.
With the national labor market shifting, hotels aren’t the only ones struggling to hire. The manufacturing industry opened up to migrant workers this June. But as the government solves the labor shortfall, it faces the second test of easing the impact on domestic workers.
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2023-10-12
