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| The FDH population continues to drop despite the resumption of deployment from the Philippines |
The Filipino domestic helper population in Hong Kong has dropped
by nearly 1,500 last month, despite the arrival of a bigger number of workers
who arrived from the Philippines
According to Labour Secretary Law Chi-kwong on Saturday, June
27, the number of Filipino DHs who entered in the past month was around 1,700,
meaning the job losses should have been offset, but were not.
The latest Immigration statistics show the Filipino FDH
population in June was 211,426, down by 1,490 from the May figure. The drop was worse in April, when 2,941 FDH jobs were
lost as Hong Kong ’s economy continued to take
a beating amid the pandemic.
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|
The data from Immigration show a similar drop in the
Indonesian domestic helper population, with 849 losing their jobs in June.
However, the statistics do not show the actual number of
Filipino helpers who are still in Hong Kong, as hundreds appear to have taken
advantage of Immigration’s decision to extend their visas because of pandemic-related
travel restrictions in the Philippines
Those already on visitor visa are terminated workers who
have difficulty returning to their hometowns in the Philippines
Immigration has eased the “two-week rule” during the crisis
to help terminated workers find new employers. However, they are still not
allowed to take up their new jobs unless they have gone on home leave, or
“exited” from Hong Kong .
The Immigration figures also do not include the thousands
who were either stranded or unable to complete the processing of their exit
visas in the Philippines
In early June, the Department of Labor and Employment
admitted the pandemic and community lockdown to keep it in check had left 7.3
million Filipinos jobless, resulting in the country’s highest unemployment rate
of 17.7%.
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the lockdown
during the community quarantine from March to May had also caused a huge 55.6%
drop in the labor force participation rate, the lowest in the country’s labor
market history.
The figure could still rise dramatically, as tens of
thousands more overseas Filipino workers have lost their jobs abroad, but are
still unable to return home due to lockdowns and travel restrictions in their
place of work.
Foreign domestic
helper population in Hong Kong , 2020
As of
end of Month/Year
|
Other
nationalities
|
Total
-- all nationalities
|
|||
Jan-20
|
219,728
|
170,898
|
4,838
|
4,657
|
400,121
|
Feb-20
|
217,654
|
171,291
|
4,857
|
4,619
|
398,421
|
Mar-20
|
218,002
|
170,318
|
4,818
|
4,594
|
397,732
|
Apr-20
|
215,061
|
167,747
|
4,723
|
4,493
|
392,024
|
May-20
|
212,855
|
165,377
|
4,664
|
4,446
|
387,342
|
Jun-20
|
211,426
|
164,528
|
Inc
|
385,006
|
