Print

Mail

wiki links

Unemployment rate down to 4.5 percent

Taiwan's jobless rate fell to 4.5 percent last month from 4.67 percent in August as the growing economy boosted employment, the government said yesterday.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the jobless rate was 4.35 percent last month -- the lowest since it dropped to 4.18 percent in April 2001, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.

Last month's unemployment rate also eased off the nine-month high set in August owing to fewer business closures and layoffs, the DGBAS said. The number of people out of work fell to 461,000 from 481,000 in August, the DGBAS said. The eligible workforce last month was 10.24 million.

"The continuing global economic recovery boosted employment" last month, said Liu Beei-chern (劉碧珍), a deputy director at the statistics agency.

The nation's production lines usually gear up early in the fourth quarter for strong sales of electronics to the US and Europe ahead of the Christmas shopping season.

Liu also said that neither high oil prices nor inflation would have any direct impact on employment in the current quarter.

Taiwan's jobless rate for the first nine months of the year was 4.52 percent, while the seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 4.54 percent.

Liu said that both the jobless rate and seasonally adjusted rate are now moving in the same downward direction, proof that Taiwan's economy is recovering.
This story has been viewed 2655 times.