Taiwan unemployment levels hit 18-year low

Thanks to steady economic improvement, Taiwan's unemployment rate in September was as low as it's ever been in almost two decades.
By: | October 26, 2018

 

Unemployment was at its lowest in 18 years in September at 3.76% due to steady economic improvement, as graduation season ends and the jobless rate became normal, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.

An economic expansion has benefitted the job market, although outlook will depend on maintaining strong headcount demand.

External factors such as trade tensions between US and China might affect the country’s export-focused economy.

Ending four months of increases, the monthly DGBAS report reflected an overall unemployment decline by 14,000 to 447,000 people, with first-time job-seekers decreasing to 8,000 people.

Among the unemployed, Taiwan’s university graduates were the worst-hit, with an unemployment rate of 5.2% in September.

In contrast, for the same month, the unemployment rates for high school graduates and post-graduates were at 3.6% and 2.9%, respectively.

Taiwan has a working population of 1.14 million people.