Hong Kong is more competitive in attracting foreign domestic helpers than Singapore and Taiwan, especially in terms of pay and legal protection, but weakened demand in the city may drive new migrant workers to seek opportunities in other markets, industry insiders have said.
The comparison came after migrant workers’ groups called for a 30 per cent pay rise for helpers in the city to HK$6,500 (US$828) a month and for their food subsidy to be doubled to HK$2,700. The groups also blamed current government policies for leaving many helpers in a “hungry and malnourished” condition.
“Hong Kong employers, in general, pay higher than in other places and workers enjoy better legal protection,” said Mike Cheung Chung-wai, president of the Overseas Employment Centre.
“The population of domestic helpers is also high in the city, which can make them interact and establish bonds with each other easily.”
As of 2024, a total of 368,000 foreign domestic workers were in Hong Kong, accounting for a 10th of the local workforce and representing an 8 per cent decrease from their peak population of 399,000 in 2019.
In comparison, Taiwan and Singapore had 214,500 and 301,600 domestic workers, respectively. The number in Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, reached almost 4 million, but it included a wide range of professions, such as housekeepers, drivers and cooks.
The minimum wage for helpers in Hong Kong is HK$4,990 per month, with employers required to either provide free food or pay an allowance of at least HK$1,236 a month.
In Taiwan, the minimum wage for helpers was raised to NT$20,000 (US$668) starting in August 2022, while Singapore and Saudi Arabia do not have one.
Salary levels vary based on nationality, experience and job requirements. They range between S$600 (US$465) and S$750 in Singapore, and from 950 (US$253) to 2,500 Saudi riyal in the kingdom, according to job-matching platforms HelperChoice and Ministry of Helpers.
In Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, employers are required to provide free medical treatment to their helpers throughout the contract. In Singapore and Taiwan, employers must offer medical insurance coverage.
Gemma Micu, a 52-year-old domestic helper working in Singapore, said the basic monthly salary was S$600, though most employers offered more.
Experienced domestic helpers could earn around S$1,000, generally lower than in Hong Kong, Micu said.
She noted that all helpers were usually given one day off per week, but employers might opt to provide compensation instead. Their annual leave is not specified by the law but is usually stated in contracts. Micu said it was usually a one-month holiday every two years, although some employers gave their helpers breaks once or twice a year.
“My biggest spending includes food on my days off, supporting my family in the Philippines and making investments back home,” Micu said.
Micu receives S$1,700 a month, which is higher than the base in Singapore. Her pay was matched to the Hong Kong level after she relocated with her boss three years ago.
“To be honest, salary-wise, Singapore and Hong Kong are similar, with both falling below other jobs,” said JP, another domestic helper.
JP, who is also a member of the working committee for the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union in Hong Kong, said she received the minimum monthly salary of HK$4,990 but sometimes found it difficult to make ends meet, as daily necessities such as personal care products were expensive.
“But compared with Singapore, Hong Kong has [relevant] laws, so our rights are better protected, although there are still areas for improvement, such as clearly stating regulations for live-in spaces in the contract and tackling employer abuse,” she said.
In Hong Kong, helpers are covered by the Employment Ordinance, which grants them the same basic rights and benefits as local employees, such as wage protection and paid holidays. Domestic workers have at least one rest day per week and can enjoy statutory holidays, during which employers cannot compel them to work or make any form of payment for compensation.
Helpers in Singapore are governed by the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, which is separate from the general Employment Act.
They are entitled to one rest day per week, but they can choose to work in exchange for a day’s salary. They also must have at least one rest day per month that cannot be compensated away.
Josephine Tolentino, a 54-year-old helper from the Philippines, has lived in Hong Kong for more than a decade. But she worked as a domestic helper for three years in Taiwan before 2000.
“I like Hong Kong better because people can speak English and it’s easy to communicate. It is also nice to rove around on my days off,” Tolentino said, noting she only got two Sundays off per month when she worked in Taiwan.
She initially planned to work in Canada, but changed her mind after she moved to Hong Kong, as it was easier for her to go back home during holidays.
The Hong Kong government reviews the minimum wage and food allowance for foreign domestic helpers annually. In the past two decades, the minimum wage has increased by 2 to 5 per cent almost every year, with two exceptions – in 2009-10 and 2020-21.
McLean Ng, chairman of the Domestic Helper Employment Research Non-profit Team, noted that hiring a domestic helper was now far more common than when the practice was first introduced in the 1970s, when only wealthy households considered employing them.
But the post-pandemic emigration of the middle class had shrunk local demand, he said, while the supply of overseas applicants remained sufficient.
“If those who are already in Hong Kong can satisfy the local need, new applicants from overseas might turn to other emerging markets, such as Japan and Korea,” Ng said. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
