Hong Kong will need 600,000 domestic helpers in next 30 years amid demand for elderly care, labour chief says
Adding to complexities is the concern that wider hiring policies and better wages on the mainland will cause exodus of such workers from city
Hong Kong needs a fresh wave of 240,000 domestic helpers in the next three decades to take care of a rapidly ageing population, according to the labour minister, who has warned of a significant impact as the mainland opens up to workers from the Philippines.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Post, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said that if wages for domestic helpers on the mainland were double those in the city, half of Hong Kong’s 190,000 Filipino helpers would leave to seek work across the border.
While the Labour and Welfare Bureau is actively exploring new markets such as Cambodia and Myanmar and increasing efforts to tap into existing ones such as Bangladesh to cope with growing demand, Law expressed “hesitation” and “concern” over accepting Vietnamese domestic helpers. He pointed to the “large” numbers of illegal Vietnamese immigrants in the city.
Law also said: “Today we have 360,000 foreign domestic helpers. Because of an ageing population, 30 years down the road, that demand will grow to 600,000. That means an additional 240,000 foreign domestic helpers [are needed], just for looking after the elderly.”
According to government projections, the number of Hong Kong residents aged 65 or older is expected to climb from 1.16 million last year to more than 2.37 million by 2036 – comprising 31 per cent of the population in that year.
