Facing a likely labour shortage of 30,000 people due to the freezing of applications for Philippine labourers since the beginning of May 2013, According to the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA), the contracts of 30,000 Philippine laborers will expire later this year and the government is exploring the practicality of sourcing replacements from countries including Sri Lanka and Burma.
Workers from Thailand are also less willing to work in Taiwan nowadays. Because of the economic recovery in Thailand, which includes Japan increasing its investment in the country, an increasing number of citizens in Thailand now prefer to work in their home country.
Office of Labour Affairs in Taipei.
High-tech companies, the main sector in Taiwan for employing Philippine labourers, has already found replacements from Vietnam. However, since many Vietnamese workers do not have proficient English skills, local businesses have not found them as capable as Filipino so it has caused much inconvenience to local firms. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government recently halted the country’s labour exports because local brokers have charged exorbitant commission. Vietnamese labour arrivals are expected to resume in November.
