TAIPEI: Taiwan's Labor Minister has raised alarms over a proposed bill that could destabilize the country's live-in caregiver market, potentially leading to a significant imbalance in supply and demand. The bill, backed by the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) caucus, aims to eliminate a health evaluation requirement for seniors, potentially increasing the number of Taiwanese eligible for migrant caregiver services.

According to Focus Taiwan, the bill proposes waiving the Barthel Index-based health evaluation for individuals aged 80 and older, and it is set to be reviewed in a legislative session on Tuesday. Should it pass, the demand for migrant caregivers is expected to surpass the current supply, as an estimated 530,000 additional Taiwanese seniors would qualify to hire a live-in caregiver, warned Labor Minister Hung Sun-han in a social media statement.

Taiwan currently employs approximately 227,000 migrant caregivers, with an annual increase of around 10,000. Historical data indicates that about 160,000 families, representing 30 percent of those eligible, are likely to apply for a migrant live-in caregiver, further straining the system. This could potentially disadvantage families with severely ill members who are in more urgent need of caregiving assistance.

Hung also highlighted the competitive disadvantage Taiwan faces concerning caregiver salaries. Migrant caregivers in Taiwan earn an average monthly salary slightly above NT$20,000, significantly lower than the NT$40,000 to NT$50,000 earned by their counterparts in Japan and South Korea. The anticipated surge in demand may encourage migrant workers to opt for positions involving healthier care recipients, exacerbating the situation further.