The minimum wage of foreign domestic workers will remain at HK$4,630 a month, while a monthly allowance, for those whose employers do not provide them with food, will be increased by HK$52 to not less than HK$1,173 per month.

A government spokesman said the SAR reviews the Minimum Allowable Wage for foreign domestic helpers regularly.

“In accordance with the established practice, we have carefully considered Hong Kong's general economic and labour market conditions over the past year, as well as Hong Kong's near-term economic outlook, including the impact of the pandemic in this year's review.”

“Taking into account the above, the affordability of employers and the livelihood of foreign domestic helpers, the government has decided that the Minimum Allowable Wage level for them should remain unchanged,” said the spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Labour Department said foreign domestic helpers’ contracts signed today or earlier with food allowance of not less than HK$1,121 per month will still be processed by the Immigration Department provided that the applications reach their office on or before October 28.

The Department added that the arrangement will give employers sufficient time to send the signed contracts to the Immigration Department for completion of the necessary application procedures.