Over 6,000 imported workers approved from April to June

Between April and June this year, the number of approved imported workers in the retail and catering services sectors was 1,035 and 5,917, respectively, exceeding the number of applications for imported labor during the same period, said Chris Sun, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare.

He stated that the Labour Department had continuously improved the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) case-handling process.

If employers use the common position application form and simultaneously provide all required information and documents, applications can generally pass initial screening quickly, allowing employers to commence a four-week local recruitment immediately, Sun added.

He also noted that since the launch of ESLS, the government has been closely monitoring its implementation. The Labour Department will review the scheme's scope and operations before its two-year implementation period ends.