TAIWAN EXPERIENCING A LABOR CRISIS IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
Taiwan's construction industry continues to face a worsening labor shortage, despite wages being higher than those in other industries. According to Radio Taiwan International Siaran Indonesia (RTISI), the difficulty in recruiting workers in the construction sector is due to young people's reluctance to take on high-pressure, labor-intensive construction jobs. Experts have identified three major crises in the construction industry's labor shortage: project delays, rising housing costs and prices, and the rise of the illegal labor market, all of which will impact the industry.
Chen Chi-wei, Deputy Head of Engineering Construction at a construction company, acknowledged that recruitment is currently very difficult, with shortages across all skill sets. The most pressing needs are for formwork workers, rebar workers, and plumbers/electricians in the structural phase. He noted that the average age of workers is over 50, and they prioritize projects with higher unit prices. Although wages have increased significantly in recent years, they are still unattractive to young people.
The labor shortage is forcing construction companies to raise wages to secure workers, leading to technical gaps and project delays on some projects. Chang Szu-yao, chairman of the Taipei Employment Service Business Association, stated that many construction companies are now charging exorbitant prices for formwork and bricklayers.
Hsiao Chieh-kai, CEO of a construction company, pointed out that the most serious impact of the labor shortage is the extension of construction periods.
Most construction companies have legally hired migrant workers to supplement their workforce, but the system is highly unsynchronized, leading to the expansion of the illegal labor market. According to statistics from the National Directorate General of Immigration of the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), as of January of this year, 3,740 missing migrant workers were engaged in construction work in Taiwan, a 98.1% increase over the past six years compared to 381 in 2020. This "underground labor market" has become an open secret in the industry.
PT. BUANA SAFIRA ABADI is currently offering opportunities to fill the construction worker vacancy in Taiwan. Experienced workers in the construction sector with skills in welding, electrical installation, plumbing, formwork, iron tying, cement, and other fields can register with PT. BUANA SAFIRA ABADI to participate in the selection and construction job process in Taiwan.
