Philippine maid comes to Wuxi

Published: July 6, 2010

Philippine maids have always been welcome by household employers since they are well trained in housekeeping skills and are able to speak fluent English, a must-learn language for their children in the minds of most Chinese parents.

Such a work force, though still tiny in number, has emerged in Wuxi's labor market, according to local Jiangnan Evening News.

Mr. Zhu, seemed to be quite impressed with the job done by a Philippine maid he hired in his house.

"She used to be a teacher in her country and received good training in housekeeping. Since she is doing a great job in doing house chore, I feel quite satisfied", said Zhu.

"Besides, she speaks fluent English and my daughter loves talking with her in English", added Zhu.

"Affluent families in Wuxi are now able to afford 60,000 to 70,000 yuan paid to a Philippine maid for one year, which proves the local labor market demands for high-end household service personals. Yet such people can hardly be seen at local job agencies," said Mr. Jin, deputy general secretary of Wuxi Household Service Association.

Whitney, who is from the U.S. and works as an English teacher in Wuxi, is faced with the problem.

She said she had once hired a local home maid whom she later found she had no way to communicate with. She still hopes she could find someone who is able to speak English.

At present there are no job agencies in Wuxi introducing Philippine maids to work local families. Yet some affluent families have long begun seeking them through agencies in large cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, according to Wuxi Household Service Association.

However, according to law administrating employment of foreigners in China, individuals and families cannot hire foreign laborers.

The domestic household service market still lacks regulation, said an insider in the industry.