Government attempts to reverse the country’s falling birth rate by offering couples incentives to have children have so far failed to make an impact. According to a survey by online job board yes123, almost 80 percent of currently employed respondents said the main reason for not having children was that they “didn’t earn enough.” The report calculated that a recently graduated couple with a double income would have to work for 13 years before earning enough to raise a family.
Yes123 carried out the online survey between Sept. 20-28 and garnered 3,630 valid responses. According to the survey, the main reason cited for not having children was “not earning enough,” a reason given by 75.8 percent of respondents, followed by a problematic educational system (38.6 percent), while 30.1 percent blamed societal problems such as the risk of their children going off the rails or being kidnapped.
The survey revealed that on average, respondents thought that a family would require a combined monthly income of NT$85,000 to raise a child. Given that the average salary for a recent graduate is NT$22,624, both earners would need to increase their salary by 5 percent every year for 13 years before hitting their earnings target. By this stage the couple would be about 35 years old, by which time the risk of pregnancy complications would be quite high.
PHOTO: AFP 照片:法新社
The respondents said that on average they estimate it costs NT$28,875 per month to raise a child, which is more than the monthly salary of a recent graduate. Over 60 percent of respondents who are currently employed want the government to give more subsidies. On average, they would like to see monthly child support benefits raised to NT$15,356 which is significantly higher than the current level of government support.
A software engineer surnamed Chang, who has been married for three years, said that although he and his wife take home a combined monthly income of over NT$120,000, he worries that after having children the mortgage repayments and education expenses will put pressure on the household finances. Having just weathered the recent financial crisis, he appreciates the unpredictability of the job market and is unable to guarantee that his salary in 20 years time will be enough to support a child and pay his housing expenses.
Another interviewee surnamed Lin, 45, has three children. The eldest is in the second year at university while the youngest is in the fifth grade of elementary school. He says that fortunately his parents help look after the children and he doesn’t have to repay a mortgage, which has given him a little bit of breathing space. The household’s monthly income is NT$80,000 which means they have to cut a few corners on the children’s education. In their free time they take the children to play ball or ride bikes, and try to avoid expensive forms of entertainment. The children don’t have all the latest electronic gadgets but apart from that they are getting by with out too many problems.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
政府為了避免少子化而提出生育獎勵,但似乎成效不彰。根據yes123求職網的調查指出,近八成上班族不想生小孩,最大原因是「錢賺太少」,社會新鮮人的雙薪家庭,恐怕得工作十三年才養得起小孩。
yes123九月二十到二十八日以網路調查,有效問卷共三千六百三十份。根據調查,不想生小孩主因以「賺的錢不夠」達百分之七十五點八最多,其次是「教育體制不健全」(百分之三十八點六),還有「社會太亂,擔心小孩學壞或被綁架」 (百分之三十點一)。
受訪者認為,家庭月收入平均要八萬五千餘元,才有能力養小孩。yes123求職網表示,若以目前大學生起薪新台幣二萬二千六百二十四元來看,一年就算調薪百分之五,也得工作十三年,才能達到這個目標,屆時男女雙方都已三十五歲,女性都已是高齡產婦了。
上班族認為養育一個小孩平均月開銷新台幣二萬八千八百七十五元,已超過大學職場新鮮人的月薪,逾六成上班族希望政府能補助多一點,期望每月平均補助一萬五千三百五十六元,但與現在政府生育補助的金額落差太大。
已婚三年的張姓電腦工程師說,雖然與太太兩人的月薪超過十二萬元,但如果生小孩,房貸與育兒費用恐會讓生活壓力更大;在歷經去年的金融海嘯後,感受到工作環境變化無常,他無法保證未來二十年薪水不減,一定可以負擔小孩與房子。
四十五歲的林先生則有三個小孩,老大就讀大二,最小的只有小五。他表示,有父母幫忙帶小孩,加上不用付房貸,讓他可以稍微喘口氣。但夫妻倆一個月八萬元的收入,仍無法提供孩子充足的教育資源,平常休閒也只能去打球、騎腳踏車,盡量減少高消費娛樂,雖然小孩沒有太多最炫的電子產品,但除此之外,生活還過得去沒有太多問題。
(自由時報記者鍾麗華)
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