THE cost of hiring a domestic helper for Shenzhen families had risen by 15-20 percent because of a labor shortage as the Spring Festival approaches, local housekeeping service agencies said.
Starting in December, the monthly salary for full-time maids had increased to 2,000 yuan (US$300), a rise of 200 yuan, while wages for maids taking care of newborns and mothers in the maternity month had risen to between 4,800 and 8,800 yuan, according to a Daily Economic News report Tuesday.
The salary increase for part-time maids was the highest, with the hourly rate almost doubling to 25-30 yuan, the report said.
Wages will keep rising in the days before and after the Spring Festival, said a manager, surnamed Ai, of Zhongjia Housekeeping Service Co., one of the city s biggest.
Ai said well-trained professional maids taking care of newborns were most in demand in Shenzhen and the highest monthly salary had topped counterparts in other mainland cities to reach 8,800 yuan.
A large number of domestic helpers leave before the end of the lunar year to reunite with their families. There was an estimated shortage of 100,000 domestic helpers in Shenzhen at this time of year, according to Lu Zhenkun, secretary general of the Shenzhen domestic service association.
There was a demand for 300,000 domestic helpers in Shenzhen which was only just be met on normal days. But about one-third left for home a month before the Spring Festival and there were few looking for a job in Shenzhen at this time of year.
Lu said increasing demand and rising wages had begun to lure Filipino maids to work illegally for wealthy Chinese families, sometimes making as much or more than they would in Hong Kong. An average Filipino maid on the mainland now makes between 3,000 and 4,000 yuan a month.
Two groups of people employ Filipino nannies in Shenzhen. These included expatriates who had lived in Hong Kong had become accustomed to employing nannies. When they moved to Shenzhen, they brought their Filipino nannies with them.
Wealthy mainlanders were the second group. They employed Filipino nannies mainly for face, believing that employing a Filipino nanny improved their social status.
According to China s immigration laws, illegally employed aliens face a fine of up to 1,000 yuan in addition to deportation.
(Mu Zi)
