TAIPEI, Oct 9 : Taiwan will hire 15,000 workers from Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, easing a long-standing ban of foreign labour shortage, officials said today. reports Reuter.

Six industries will be allowed to hire. 15,062 workers from South East Asia starting this month, the Council of Labour Affairs said.

"Wc will re-evaluate our trial programme next year and decide whether to further ease or restrict the. hiring of foreign workers," said Chen Yi-Mln, Council Section Chief.

The quota was only about half the total requested by local firms because officials feared too many workers could cause social problems and hold back modernisation by sustaining old-fashioned, labour-intensive Industries, he said.

Previously, the government had only allowed 1.200 foreign labourers to work legally in Taiwan on state Infrastructure projects under a special programme launched last year.

Tens of thousands have slipped into Taiwan in recent years drawn by its economic bqom and the promise of higher wages. The unemployment rate was just 1.37 per cent tn June.