TWC2’s latest research takes a detailed look at recruitment costs borne by female domestic workers in Singapore.
Based on a survey of 232 workers conducted in early 2016, the study reveals how much they paid, to whom, and how many months’ of salary deductions these payments represented.
It also gathered their opinions as to what they think would be a fair rate — a question seldom asked in any other research — and takes a stab at explaining why they hold the opinions they do.
Th study concludes that while the curbs on recruitment costs attempted by the Singapore government and governments of origin countries have not fully achieved their professed goals, “they have had a positive impact in bringing down the number of months that it takes workers to pay off their recruitment costs.”
However, the study also reveals other issues, such as training fees and transfer fees when a placement with an employer does not work out.
It calls for a fundamental rethinking of the hiring model, rather than rely on piecemeal measures.
The full report (pdf) can be seen by clicking this link: The Price of a Job