Seoul, South Korea CNN — As South Korea struggles to get younger individuals fascinated about marriage and youngsters, authorities try a brand new tack: importing international employees to hold among the family burden. The federal government on Friday introduced a pilot program permitting 100 international home helpers to begin working within the capital Seoul would start as early as December. The plan will develop the variety of industries and corporations eligible to make use of international employees, as South Korea faces an growing old inhabitants, shrinking workforce and labor shortages in varied sectors. The pilot program will prioritize sending international home employees to dual-income married {couples} of their 20s to 40s, single-parent households, and multi-child households, as these teams have the very best demand for assist with housekeeping. This system goals “to ease the burden of housekeeping and youngster care,” stated the prime minister’s workplace in a information launch. Overseas housekeepers will have to be not less than 24 years previous, and can endure background checks together with a evaluate of any prison or drug-related information, the discharge stated. Authorities will even consider migrants’ work expertise, information and language proficiency abilities. They’ll be positioned in Korean households by way of “credible businesses,” which is able to monitor this system’s success by way of its six-month run, the information launch stated. The burden of kid care and housekeeping has lengthy been cited as a think about South Korea’s falling marriage and delivery charges – in addition to the rising prices of residing, and a rising reluctance amongst educated ladies to place their careers on maintain. A authorities report earlier this week discovered that amongst residents ages 19 to 34, greater than half stated they didn’t see the necessity to have a baby, even after marriage. And solely 36.4% of respondents stated they’d a constructive notion of marriage – citing widespread elements like financial difficulties. However this development has solely accelerated the nation’s inhabitants disaster because the pool of working-age individuals shrinks – including to present financial complications. South Korea has lengthy struggled with power labor shortages within the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, Reuters reported. In an effort to handle the scarcity, the federal government even proposed elevating its cap on working hours to 69 per week, up from the restrict of 52 – till a backlash amongst younger employees compelled them to stroll again the plan. Some politicians have beforehand urged the federal government to import international employees to assist alleviate the burdens on younger {couples} and oldsters. Final yr, Seoul’s mayor proposed such a scheme in a authorities cupboard assembly, declaring in a Fb put up the nation was seeing “the warning mild of inhabitants extinction, going past inhabitants decline.” He pointed to different main Asian hubs resembling Hong Kong and Singapore, the place migrant employees and housekeepers are a necessary a part of the social and financial cloth. In these locations, “ladies’s participation in financial actions has proven a transparent uptrend,” he wrote. “It didn’t overturn the long-term low fertility price development, however the downtrend in birthrate has slowed down in comparison with South Korea.” Although there are native Korean housekeepers and youngster care employees, the variety of employees is steadily declining and rising older, with the overwhelming majority over 50 years previous, the Ministry of Employment and Labor stated in July. Beneath present guidelines, South Korea solely permits international nationals on particular visas to work in housekeeping or youngster care, resembling long-term residents, marriage migrants and ethnic Koreans coming from abroad. This new pilot program goals to open up that work to E-9 visa holders – international employees in “non-professional” jobs. However the price of such a program – and the way a lot to pay employees – has additionally stirred debate. Housekeepers who stay exterior their employers’ properties and commute to work are paid greater than 15,000 Korean received ($11.40) an hour, whereas these residing of their employers’ properties are paid as much as 4.5 million received per thirty days (about $3,415), in line with the labor ministry – which is greater than many younger {couples} or professionals can afford. “The typical (month-to-month) revenue of a four-person family is about 5.04 million received (about $3,827),” stated one member of a authorities advisory group comprised of fogeys, at a July 31 public discussion board held by the labor ministry. “Even for me, 2 million received ($1,518) is an especially burdensome quantity.” The federal government’s six-month pilot program means employers will possible be capable of pay “a decrease price than the present market price for housekeeping jobs,” by way of cooperation with the Seoul metropolitan authorities and the related businesses, in line with the information launch. The federal government plans to make use of a system that matches employees on the occasions of day with highest demand, by permitting part-time work as an choice, it added. Related pay discrepancies are seen in Hong Kong, the place international home employees – principally hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia – are paid a decrease minimal wage than the remainder of the workforce. They earn a minimal of 4,730 Hong Kong {dollars} (about $600) per thirty days – in what’s constantly ranked one of many world’s costliest cities. Hong Kong authorities and a few observers have argued that international home employees are legally required to stay with their employers, thus saving them lease, and that elevating their wage would forestall many {couples} and dealing dad and mom from hiring them in any respect. However activists and neighborhood employees argue the system is in dire want of reform; the live-in rule can lure susceptible migrant employees, almost all ladies, with abusive employers; there isn’t a cap on their most working hours; and immigration legal guidelines imply many are afraid to talk out or depart their employers, for worry of being deported. Singapore’s migrant employee system is simply as controversial for using low cost international labor to maintain one of many world’s richest nations. These employees usually do tough and harmful jobs with out minimal wage, toiling outdoor for lengthy hours generally in excessive climate, and are usually not allowed to enter most air-conditioned public areas like purchasing malls due to guidelines set by landlords and tenants. It’s unclear what, if any, labor protections shall be included within the South Korean plan. The federal government’s information launch contains no particulars on the employees’ particular pay, their most working hours, additional time coverage, or their depart allowance and weekly days off. On the authorities’s July 31 discussion board, one attendee was pictured holding an indication that learn: “I condemn the Ministry of Employment and Labor for passing on housekeeping labor to a different low-wage feminine employees.”