ATA IMS warned that the current situation may persist until such time as the government re-opens recruitment of foreign workers for the manufacturing sector. Due to the current freeze on new employment from source countries, employers are unable to get replacements for their foreign workers,” it added. He says hiring foreign workers is not cheap, considering that employers must also bear the recruitment fees, which foreign workers previously paid to the recruitment agents themselves. Mui says, essentially, foreign workers are favoured over locals not because of lower labour costs but because of their good attendance and fewer working issues. “Companies should take this opportunity to start looking for technological advancement and reduce their dependency on foreign workers.

Source: The Edge Markets November 30, 2021 19:07 UTC