On 23rd January 2025, together with 18 organisations serving the Migrant Domestic Worker (MDW) community and their employers, we joined a meeting with the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun and his team.
There are over 350,000 MDWs in Hong Kong today, who significantly contribute to our city. With a rapidly ageing population, it is anticipated our already heavy reliance on this community will significantly increase over the coming years.
Currently MDWs represent 10% of the labour force and are employed by some 13% of households. They enable many Hong Kongers – especially those with young children and elderly parents – to maintain dual income households. In 2018, MDWs were estimated to contribute 3.6% GDP. Recent research also suggests hiring a MDW facilitates the choice by many families to have a second child, which is important given our falling birth rate.
Our meeting presented a key opportunity to share, discuss and pave the way for future collaboration with the Labour Department on important areas of mutual interest – not only for the betterment of Hong Kong, but also towards enhancing mutual care and understanding, as the cornerstones of an amicable family and employment relationship.
