The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) reported that the number of foreign workers surpassed 420,000 last month, resulting in a unique situation of a growing foreign work force versus underemployed Taiwanese public.
According to CLA numbers, the number of foreign workers first broke 400,000 in July. It hit a high of 420,0931 people in October. Of the number, 196,755 foreign hires worked in social services as nursing personnel while 224,176 worked in manufacture.
With an aging Taiwanese population, the number of foreigners working social welfare hires has increased in tandem. However, the sluggish economy and tightening government restrictions on foreign labor has seen the number of workers in manufacturing dwindle at around 170,000 at its lowest.
As the economy gradually turns around, the number has once again risen in proportion hitting a high of 224,000
The high number of foreign laborers is most significant in the fabricated metal products industry, which hit 37,840 people in October. Computer and IT also saw a monthly increase of up to hundreds of people each month. Only the electronic components industry saw a drop in foreign hires, down by 1,200 people a month since August 2011.
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