TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The average total salary for industrial migrant workers dropped to NT$32,000 (US$1,000) in 2023, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL).
A report released by the MOL on Monday (Jan. 8) said the average total salary for foreign blue-collar workers was NT$32,000, a drop of NT$120 compared to the same period last year. The average total wages for domestic caregivers was NT$23,000, an increase of NT$2,105.
That day, the MOL released its survey on the “management and utilization of migrant workers” to “understand the views of employers in both the business and domestic sectors on the management, utilization, and related policies concerning migrant workers, and to gather insights into the working conditions of migrant workers as references for policies related to their recruitment.” The survey was conducted from July to August 2023 and collected 8,562 valid samples, including 4,534 from the business sector (manufacturing and construction) and 4,028 from domestic employers.
For migrant workers in the business sector, the average total salary last year was NT$32,000, including a regular salary of NT$27,284 and overtime pay of NT$4,048. This represented an average decrease of NT$120 from the same period last year.
This was mainly due to the adjustment of basic wages and a reduction of overtime hours. Over this period, the regular salary increased by approximately NT$1,218, but overtime pay decreased by NT$1,571.
The total working hours of migrant workers in the business sector was approximately 192.4 hours, a decrease of 10.7 hours compared to the previous year. Regular working hours and overtime working hours both had year-on-year reductions of 0.2 hours and 10.5 hours, respectively.
As for domestic foreign caregivers, the average total salary last year was about NT$23,000, an increase of NT$2,105 from the same period last year. This includes a regular wage of NT$19,920 and overtime pay was NT$2,291, representing year-on-year increases of approximately NT$1,959 and NT$156, respectively.
In terms of working hours, 86.1% of employers hiring foreign caregivers did not specify the daily working hours. However, regardless of whether employers specify the working hours or not, the average actual daily working hours are estimated to be approximately 10 hours.
According to the survey, 60.6% of foreign caregivers are granted days off every month, and 57.7% listed receiving “one time” per month, followed by 25.6% having “two to three times” off per month. About 39.4% did not report having any days off.
For those who did not receive days off, more than 95% reported receiving overtime pay from their employers.
