Explaining occupational injury rates between migrant and native workers in Taiwan, 1998-2011

This study explains trends in occupational injury rates among migrant and native workers in Taiwan and evaluates the results of related regulatory protection policies for migrants between 1998 and 2011. Results indicate that the relative occupational injury rate between migrant and native workers dropped from 2.1 times to 1.1 times during the whole period; on average, the injury rates for migrant workers were 1.45 times higher compared with non-migrants. Although policies protecting migrants' rights may have resulted in lower injury rates, the minimum wage policy has otherwise given rise to an increase in injury rates. We argue that governmental regulations regarding the monitoring and management of migrant workers' safety have been only loosely enforced under the guest-worker policy.