The number of people receiving unemployment benefits decreased slightly from previous months, the latest Council of Labor Affairs figures showed.
Spurred by the global economic downturn, the number of people receiving jobless benefits started to climb at the end of last year.
Last September, about 29,000 people were receiving benefits, but by December, it had climbed to 67,000. As of February, the number had soared to more than 110,000 people, with payouts reaching NT$2 billion (US$59 million). The number peaked again at 124,000 in March.
Last month, the number of people receiving jobless benefits showed a slight decrease for the first time in eight months.
Unemployment benefit payouts dipped to NT$1.9 billion last month, the council said.
The number of new claimants exceeded 30,000 each month since last December, while the country’s jobless rate soared to a 31-year high of 5.31 percent in January.
In March, the number of new claimants decreased from 35,000 in February to 28,000. It decreased by another 7,000 last month, down to 21,000 new claimants.
The council’s data reflects the latest unemployment numbers released by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS). Last month, DGBAS reported that unemployment stood at 5.81 percent.
Although the unemployment rate continued to rise because of business closures or downsizing, the rate of the increase has slowed, the agency reported.
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