Hualien, Chiayi top unemployment list

* Hualien: 4.8% * Chiayi: 4.8% * Taipei: 4.2% * Hsinchu: 3.8% * Eastern Taiwan: 4.6% * Central and Southern Taiwan:4.5% * Northern Taiwan: 4.3% Source: CNA

The eastern county of Hualien and the southern county of Chiayi posted the highest jobless rate in the country last year at 4.8 percent, according to the latest government statistics.

Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan had the lowest unemployment rate last year, at 3.8 percent, while Taipei registered a jobless rate of 4.2 percent, the tallies compiled by the Cabinet-level Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics showed.

By region, eastern Taiwan had the highest unemployment rate, at 4.6 percent, while northern Taiwan had the lowest rate, at 4.3 percent. The rate for central Taiwan and southern Taiwan averaged 4.5 percent. The island county of Penghu had the smallest number of employees, at 34,000.

There were a total of 17.76 million people older than 15 in Taiwan last year. Some 9.786 million people were employed, while 454,000 were jobless, marking a labor participation rate of 57.66 percent and an unemployment rate of 4.44 percent.

The 4.44 percent jobless rate is the lowest since 2001.