The jobless rate rose to 3.92 percent last month from 3.8 percent in January, as more people lost their jobs after the end of temporary employment for the Lunar New Year holiday, the government said yesterday.
The number of unemployed people rose to 408,000 last month from 397,000 the previous month, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) reported.
The jobless rate fell to its lowest point in five years in January, since the 3.73 percent recorded in February 2001, according to the agency.
"The effect of the Chinese New Year holiday was mainly responsible for the increase in February's jobless rate," said Huang Jiann-jong (黃建中), a senior DGBAS official.
SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT
However, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the nation's jobless rate was 3.95 percent last month, down from 3.97 percent in January, Huang said.
The unemployment rate remained on a downward trend after taking out the effect of seasonal factors last month, Huang said, predicting a further fall in the next two months.
"The declining jobless rate indicated Taiwan's economy remains in good shape," Huang said.
On Feb. 23 DGBAS issued a report predicting that the nation's economy would expand by 4.25 percent this year after growing 4.1 percent last year.
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