Taiwan's hospitality sector short 6,000 workers

​TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s hospitality industry faces a labor shortage of around 5,000 to 6,000 workers, according to the Tourism Administration.

Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) confirmed Wednesday that the ministry is considering allowing migrant workers to fill roles in the hotel and lodging sector. Monthly salaries in hospitality start at NT$35,000 (NT$1,171), including bonuses for major holidays, overtime pay, and other company benefits, with average earnings exceeding NT$40,000 per month.

The government has attempted to ease the labor gap by permitting the employment of overseas Chinese students, international interns, and international students. However, industry stakeholders say these measures have had limited success.

Statistics from the Tourism Bureau show that last year, only one overseas Chinese student majoring in tourism stayed in Taiwan to work in hospitality. For non-tourism majors, who must complete an 80-hour training course before qualifying to work, only a small number have registered.

The number of international interns in hospitality has also dropped from over 1,000 in previous years to fewer than 500 this year, largely due to stricter visa regulations imposed by Indonesia targeting fraudulent student visas.

Taiwan Tourist Hotel Association Secretary General Zhuo Chien-hui (卓倩慧) noted that while overseas Chinese students and foreign interns have somewhat alleviated the shortage, many interns return home after completing training. She added that competition from Japan, which actively recruits Taiwanese workers, has worsened the labor crunch.

Zhuo explained that most foreign interns in the past were vocational training center students rather than university students. The Indonesian government’s recent ban on vocational training students coming to Taiwan has also affected the labor pool, with current shortages in the industry estimated at 50-60%.

Given the specialized skills required in hospitality, which typically require six months of training and about a year to reach full proficiency, Zhuo urged the government to extend allowable stays for foreign interns and overseas Chinese students to three to five years. She also called for gradually opening the sector to migrant workers to help address the ongoing labor shortage.