Taiwan’s unemployment rate edged up last month as post-Lunar New Year job switching led to modest labor market fluctuations, although overall conditions remained stable, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.
The unemployment rate rose to 3.34 percent, up 0.02 percentage points from February. The seasonally adjusted figure also increased by 0.02 points to 3.35 percent.
Despite the monthly uptick, last month’s reading was the lowest for the same month in nearly 26 years, reflecting continued resilience in the labor market.
Photo: CNA
DGBAS Deputy Census Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said the increase was mainly driven by workers changing jobs after the Lunar New Year holiday, a period when job mobility typically rises as employees seek better opportunities.
“There is no clear evidence so far that the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has directly affected Taiwan’s employment,” Tan said, adding that external geopolitical tensions have not yet filtered into Taiwan’s labor market.
Unemployment due to dissatisfaction with previous jobs rose by 5,000, pointing to increased voluntary job switching rather than layoffs.
Underemployment also increased by 3,000 to 122,000, which Tan partly attributed to uncertainty over last year’s US tariff policy and global overcapacity in traditional industries, leading some local firms to reduce working hours instead of cutting staff.
However, Tan said the changes remain within normal fluctuations and do not signal a weakening in overall labor conditions.
The government’s price-stabilization measures have also helped cushion the impact of higher energy costs, she said.
By education level, unemployment was highest among university graduates at 4.45 percent, compared with 3.13 percent for senior high or vocational graduates and 2.99 percent for postgraduates.
The data suggest graduates entering or re-entering the labor market face relatively higher competition.
Youth unemployment remains elevated at 11.42 percent for those aged 15 to 24, reflecting challenges for first-time job seekers transitioning into employment, DGBAS data showed.
The average duration of unemployment fell slightly to 20.5 weeks, down 0.4 weeks from February, indicating marginal improvement in job-finding speed.
DGBAS expects the unemployment rate to ease this month due to seasonal hiring, before rising again in June when new graduates enter the workforce.
The agency said it would continue monitoring external risks, including geopolitical tensions such as the US-Iran conflict.
Taiwan’s unemployment rate last month was higher than Japan’s (2.6 percent) and South Korea’s (3 percent), but lower than the US’ (4.3 percent) and Canada’s (7 percent), suggesting relatively stable labor market conditions.
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