TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The construction sector can start looking for 8,000 migrant workers beginning Aug. 1, Interior Minister Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said Saturday (July 1).

Depending on the response, the number could be expanded to 15,000 in a second phase, according to the minister. With the rapid aging of the population, Taiwan’s economy faces a labor shortage.

Until recently, the employment of migrant workers in the construction industry has been restricted. Public works projects of more than NT$100 million (US$3.20 million) and private urban renewal and renovation projects valued at more than NT$200 million were allowed to apply for workers from overseas on a case-by-case basis.

The new measures also include preconditions, with only professional construction and engineering companies that have within the past three years taken on at least one project per year valued at 10 times their authorized capital, Lin said. They also need to employ a set proportion of Taiwanese workers.

After filing their application to the MOI Construction and Planning Agency (CPA) to confirm their status, the companies should then turn to the Ministry of Labor (MOL) to apply for migrant workers, according to the minister. An estimated 1,900 businesses in the construction sector are expected to benefit from the new measure, CNA reported.