Salary Increase for Local Workers Attracts Foreign Talent! Over 50 Hotels Register Labor Shortages; Grand Hyatt Secures First 37 Workers

To address labor shortages caused by aging and low birth rates, Taiwan's Ministry of Labor has launched the "Cross-National Technical Talent Advancement Plan." By mid-August, over 50 hotel operators had applied to hire more than 500 foreign workers. On August 14, the Ministry announced that Grand Hyatt Taipei had obtained approval to hire the first 37 Indonesian technical workers on August 13, becoming the first hotel operator to complete the process under the new system. This allows the hotel industry to supplement frontline service staff.

The Ministry stated that the plan balances domestic workers' employment rights and industry hiring needs, allowing hotels to hire foreign technical workers for housekeeping, cleaning, reservations, and guest services. Unlike past foreign worker systems, the new system requires applicants to have certain educational qualifications, professional skills, and language proficiency to meet the needs of frontline and professional hotel work.

The plan also includes a "domestic worker salary increase and foreign technical worker supplementation" design. If hotel operators raise the minimum wage of full-time domestic base-level workers by at least NT$2,000, they can obtain a 1:1 ratio of foreign technical worker hiring quotas. This supplements labor while improving domestic workers' working conditions.

To help businesses understand application requirements and procedures, the Ministry has held 12 promotional briefings. By mid-August, over 50 hotel operators had applied for domestic recruitment procedures, requesting more than 500 workers, with the number of cases continuing to increase. This shows the hotel industry's strong demand for overseas talent.

For the hiring mechanism, the Ministry provides one-on-one consultation and guidance services through the Cross-National Labor Force Recruitment Center, helping businesses complete domestic recruitment procedures, qualification certification, and hiring approval applications. This shortens processing time and improves application efficiency.

Notably, the 37 Indonesian technical workers approved this time were specifically hired by Grand Hyatt Taipei. They had previously received training at the hotel and performed well in their internships. As they already have hotel service experience and are familiar with the Taiwanese work environment, they are expected to quickly adapt to their roles upon arrival.

The Ministry also revealed that recruitment channels have been established with Indonesia and Thailand, and preliminary cooperation agreements have been reached with Vietnam. Regarding the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Taiwan and the Philippines, consensus has been reached, and related procedures are being promoted.

The Ministry stated that it will continue to maintain cooperation with talent-supplying countries through country-to-country employment mechanisms, strengthening overseas talent recruitment, qualification review, and hiring procedures in Taiwan. This ensures talent quality and hiring process transparency. The Ministry also urges qualified hotel operators with labor needs to use the Cross-National Technical Talent Advancement Plan to legally supplement their workforce, helping the hotel industry develop stably.