Average regular monthly wages in Taiwan’s industrial and service sectors rose 2.89 percent year-on-year to NT$47,891 in July, while total compensation — including overtime, commissions and bonuses — climbed 5.48 percent to NT$65,583, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.
The median monthly wage, considered a more accurate measure of typical earnings, increased 2.46 percent to NT$38,291, indicating that many workers earned less than the average.
From January to July, the average monthly wage was NT$47,651, up 2.98 percent from the same period last year, the strongest growth in three years, the data showed.
Photo: CNA
Census Department Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) attributed the rise to a combination of pay increases, a higher minimum wage and longer working hours.
Average overtime in July was 17.1 hours, up 0.9 hours year-on-year — the highest for the month in 15 years, the data showed.
Manufacturers of electronic components recorded an average of 27.7 hours of overtime per worker, the most for July since data collection began in 1980, Tan said.
Despite the gains in the average wage, the median wage has lagged, underscoring persistent wage concentration and a large share of workers earning below the mean, she said.
High-income earners are driving much of the growth in the average wage, while factors such as the proportion of new hires, job distribution and lower-wage employment limit median wage growth, she added.
Industries with average regular wages below the overall level include accommodation and food services at NT$34,977, as well as other services such as beauty and hairdressing at NT$36,598, the data showed.
Industries such as professional, scientific and technical services (NT$58,109); the information and communications, publishing and audiovisual sectors (NT$69,407); and the financial and insurance sector (NT$70,749) recorded relatively high wages.
With inflation moderating, the rise in the average wage has partially offset price pressures, boosting real purchasing power, although wage inequality remains a concern, Tan said.
The consumer price index has been within the central bank’s 2 percent target for four consecutive months, supported by the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar.
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