Most office workers under the age of 40 cannot afford to buy a home, despite a drop in property prices, according to a survey released by yes123.com yesterday.
The survey conducted by the human resources Web site showed that only 12.1 percent of office workers under 40 have been able to purchase their own home.
The other 87.9 percent cannot afford to do so, even though prices have been declining this year, the poll found.
According to the survey, 53.9 percent of office workers under the age of 40 still live with their parents or other relatives, while 34 percent live on their own in rented accomodation.
Those who are renting spend an average of NT$9,904 (US$323.65) per month on accommodation, the survey showed.
Given that the monthly salary of a worker now averages NT$39,679, rent is consuming 25 percent of their salary.
Meanwhile, those who have bought homes are paying on average NT$21,977 per month on their mortgages, which accounts for 55 percent of their salary, the survey found.
In an effort to earn extra income, 57.9 percent of office workers have taken part-time jobs, it found.
The survey was conducted from March 22 to Thursday last week on 1,258 office workers under the age of 40 who have been working full-time for at least a year.
It had a margin of error of 2.76 percentage points.
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