‘Silver economy’ provides many golden business opportunities
A new study in the United States found that over one-quarter of the caregivers for the elderly in the country are new immigrants, and the US Labor Department expected that the caregiver industry will grow by over 40 percent in the next 10 years, far ahead of other industries. This echoes the prediction by Hong Kong Labour and Welfare Secretary Law Chi-kwong that the city will need at least another 240,000 foreign domestic helpers, an increase of over 66 percent of the current figure, within the next few decades due to the aging population. In Japan, a large number of foreign workers to fill the 380,000 caregiver vacancies by 2025 is desperately needed.