The consistently higher rates of unemployment among the Aboriginal population compared with the rest of the population puts their survival at risk, officials said yesterday.
A panel discussion involving the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA), the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), and the Council of Indigenous People (COIP) was held yesterday to discuss government initiatives to resolve the issue.
Deputy head of the Katagalan Institute Lin Hsiang-kai (林向愷) said that while the trend toward export trade in the 1960s had boosted the labor market, globalization in the 1990s had led to the closure of many industries in Taiwan, decreasing demand for laborers.
This, in addition to the legalization of the import of foreign laborers in 1992, had reduced job opportunities for indigenous people, a majority of whom are laborers.
"The economic development of Taiwan cannot be deemed fruitful if the economic survival of even a portion of the nation's citizen's isn't accounted for. Taiwan cannot call itself a democratic society if indigenous peoples' right to survive isn't protected," Lin said.
According to statistics presented by vice chair of the CEPD, Hsieh Fa-ta (謝發達), unemployment rates among Aboriginals have always been higher than that of the rest of the population, with unemployment differences peaking in 2001 at 5.26 percent for the general population and 14.86 percent for indigenous people.
Although the gap in the jobless rate has narrowed since then, with unemployment rates in May last year at 4.41 percent for the general population and 5.76 percent for indigenous people, the difference still raises concern.
In September, a joint proposal by the CLA, the CEPD and the COIP to promote employment for Aborigines was passed by the Executive Yuan.
The plan aims to lower the jobless rate among indigenous people to 4.1 percent and the unemployment rate of the rest of the population to 4.0 percent by 2007. Approximately NT$6.12 billion (US$185 million) will be invested in the venture.
CLA Vice Chairperson Lai Chin-lin (
Vice chair of the COIP, Icyan Perod (
"Figures show that a larger proportion of Aborigines are involved in labor opportunities than the general population, at 63.9 percent compared with 57.6 percent, yet the unemployment rates among Aborigines are still higher. This means that the education of indigenous people is on the underdeveloped side," he said.
He said one initiative will start next week, which will establish a database containing the qualifications of Aborigines over the age of 15 who are looking for work.
"There will be no more excuses for prospective employers who say that they cannot find indigenous talent," he said.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and