Domestic helpers’ salaries back to pre-pandemic levels due to lower demand

Demand for domestic workers has decreased, resulting in lower monthly wages, which dropped by up to 30%.

According to the Association of Employment Agencies for Foreign Workers, monthly wages of these particular workers has dropped to MOP4,000 to MOP5,000, compared to the pandemic levels of MOP5,000 to MOP6,000.

During the closure of the borders from March 2020 due to the pandemic, many workers were laid off due to the economic turndown.

A number of domestic workers have also opted to go back home for good, with many deciding that not seeing their families for over two years is a big price to pay for a minimum wage.

Data from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) shows that the number of domestic workers in the region has declined to 23,700 in the first quarter of 2023, a 23.8% decrease from 2020 figures that stood at 31,100.

Due to the shortage of domestic helpers amid the pandemic, the government launched a pilot program to allow the entry of Philippine domestic workers in April 2022.

However amid those times, job searches seen by the Times show that employers were willing to offer even up to MOP7,000 to MOP9,000 to take care of seniors, in addition to housework.

Others were willing to pay up to MOP6,000 for taking care of their children.

Currently, according to the association’s president, Ao Ieong Kuong, the market demand has slowed down, which is believed to be related to the fact that employer salaries have not rebounded.

As cited in a report by Macao Daily, some industry insiders said that the application time has now been shortened by half compared to the pandemic period.

Previously it took up to four months to process the quotas and bluecards of these employees.

On social media, it can be seen that several employers are looking for stay-out domestic helpers, offering a salary between MOP4,000 to MOP5,000 for at least nine to 11 hours of work.

Last year, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) was grilled by the UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) over the absence of a minimum wage for domestic helpers.

The UNHRC questioned why domestic workers are treated in a different manner, as the basic law states that there cannot be discrimination on any ground such as race, ethnicity or social origin.

The DSAL defended the government’s decision to exclude domestic workers from the minimum wage by noting, “The main reason for it is because domestic helpers are special and families [who] employ domestic workers are providing jobs and the domestic workers are not there [to help them] make profit.”