TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is talking to more countries to import labor, with memorandums of understanding likely to be signed during the second half of the year, Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) said Wednesday (March 22).

As the discussions had made significant progress but had not been completed yet, she was not yet willing to reveal the country or countries involved, with the actual importation of migrant labor unlikely to begin during 2023, CNA reported. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, progress had been achieved by video conferencing and with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Hsu said.

The minister emphasized that the new migrant workers would be scheduled to work in the sectors already open to foreign labor, mostly care and manufacturing. At present, Indonesians are predominantly caregivers but also work in factories, while manufacturing mostly employed people from the Philippines and Vietnam, and construction sector workers from Thailand.

Turning to demands from hotels to open up the employment of migrant labor, Hsu said the government still preferred to promote the use of older workers and of women returning to the workforce.