SUMMARY TABLE
Immediate Effects of the Asian Crisis: Labour & Migrants
As of 7 September 1998
Country
Unemployment
Total Jobless (1998)
Local Jobs Lost Due to Crisis
Terminated/ Deported Migrant Workers
Other Effects
1997
1998
Hong Kong
2.9%
4.0%
(worst in 14 years)
133,600
(May 1998)
Over 6,000 (Jun 97 to May 98)
27,200 foreign domestic helpers (FDH) terminated
(Jul 97 to Mar 98)
FDH wage frozen at 1996 levels; employers calling for 20% wage cut for FDH
Indonesia
14.2%
16.0%
15.2 million
(1998 forecast)
2 million
(Jun to Dec 97)
n.a.
Poverty incidence rose from 22M (11%) in 1996 to 96M (48%) in end-98; famine feared in certain areas
Japan
3.4%
4.3%
(worst since 1953)
2.93 million (May 1998)
490,000
(May 97-May 98)
-
-
Korea
2.6%
7.6%
(July 1998; worst since 1966);
government forecast = 6.5%
2.0 to 4.5 million (1998 forecast)
276,000
(Jun 97 to Jan 98)
300,000 deported
(Jun 97 to Jan 98) + 100,000 more to be expelled in 1998
-
Malaysia
2.5%
3.7%
500,000 (1998 forecast)
10,000 blue collars laid off (Jun-Dec 97) + 35,469 laid off
(Jan to Jul 98)
10,000 deported (Jun 97 to Jan 98) +
3,030 laid off (Jan-May 98); 200,000 to be expelled in 1998
-
Philippines
7.9%
8.4%
4.3 million (April 1998)
1.015 million (Apr 97 to Apr 98)
n.a.
-
Singapore
1.8%
-
-
2,300 laid off (Jun 97-May 98) +
30,000 expected in 1998
3,161 undocumented migrants arrested (Jan to Mar 98)
Wage freeze proposed
Thailand
3.0%
6.0%
1.8 million (1998 forecast)
200,000 public employees to be axed
6,000 Burmese expelled (Jun 97 to Jan 98) +
300,000 to be expelled in 1998
-
Source: AMC Information Bank, September 1998
n.a. = not applicable
- = data not available