Dishwashers in high demand in Hong Kong amid shortage
Kao Hsing and Staff Reporter 2013-12-15 09:01
Wahsing a bowl at a restaurant in Guizhou province. (Photo/Xinhua)
People who wash dishes at restaurants in Hong Kong can be paid as much as HK$20,000 (US$3,295) per month due to the loca labor shortage, reports Shanghai's China Business News.
A restaurant owner in the special administrative region complained that the wage for dishwashers has doubled over the past year and he has still failed to hire anyone despite offering HK$50 (US$6.50) per hour.
On the bustling streets of Causeway Bay, what catches the eye in the windows of the many restaurants is not only pictures of mouthwatering food but also flyers recruiting dishwashers. Pictures of these flyers have gone viral on the internet as some part-time workers in the finance sector have said they are considering moonlighting washing dishes.
According to China Business News, another restaurant owner said it had outsourced its dishwashing for HK$50,000 (US$6,500) per month because it was unable to find people willing to the job. It usually requires three people to clean the dishes in his restaurant, each of whom would be paid about HK$16,000 (US$2,060) per month.
Some restaurants even offer more than HK$20,000 per month for experienced dishwashers.
The flourishing development of Hong Kong's catering and retail business is mainly sustained by tourists and businesspeople from mainland China.
At present, 260,000 people are employed in the catering industry, but 30,000 vacancies remain.
