Taipei: The Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced Wednesday that the proposed family support measures, part of a new government strategy to tackle Taiwan's declining birthrate, will apply to certain foreign workers. However, these measures will not extend to migrant domestic workers and live-in caregivers.
According to Focus Taiwan, President Lai Ching-te unveiled the measures earlier on Wednesday, which include extending marriage leave from eight to 14 days, maternity leave from eight to 12 weeks, and paternity leave from seven to 14 days. Labor Minister Hung Sun-han stated at a news conference in Taipei that these benefits would be available to foreign workers in Taiwan, including households with both parents being foreign nationals.
However, migrant workers employed in sectors covered by the Labor Standards Act, such as construction and manufacturing, will benefit from these measures, while migrant domestic workers and live-in caregivers will not. This exclusion is due to their non-coverage under the Labor Standards Act, which means they cannot access benefits like marriage leave or the proposed expansion.
The proposals await approval by the Legislative Yuan before they can be enacted, with the ministry aiming for implementation by January 1, 2027. Hung explained that businesses need time to adjust their systems, as many workplace systems operate on a yearly basis.
The proposed measures also include employer subsidies, with the government fully covering wages for the newly added leave days. Parental leave eligibility would extend from parents with children up to age 3 to those with children up to age 6, along with expanded parental leave allowances. Additionally, subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises would assist in hiring replacement workers or providing duty-substitution allowances during employee childcare leave.
Funding for these labor-related measures, which will exceed NT$20 billion (US$636.8 million), will be sourced from the government budget and the Employment Insurance Fund. According to the Ministry of the Interior, Taiwan experienced a record low of 107,812 births in 2025, marking the 10th consecutive year of decline, with a total fertility rate of 0.69, one of the lowest globally.