TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's youth workforce has dipped below a critical threshold of 2 million workers, the Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) announced Monday (March 31), revealing troubling trends in the island's employment landscape. Young Taiwanese now enter the job market at an average age of 21.8 years, earning initial monthly salaries of NT$34,000 (US$1,024), figures that underscore the changing dynamics of the nation's labor force. According to the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (行政院主計總處), the 2024 count of 1.996 million young workers represents a substantial decline of 103,000 compared to a decade earlier.
The comprehensive labor survey, conducted in late 2024 over a two-month period, gathered responses from 4,091 employed Taiwanese youth between ages 15 and 29. The educational profile of this demographic reveals a highly educated workforce, with nearly two-thirds (65.8%) possessing college degrees or advanced qualifications. The employment structure shows a predominance of traditional employment arrangements, with three-quarters (76%) working in monthly salaried positions. Despite broader economic concerns, the data indicates some positive compensation trends, with 72% of young workers reporting salary increases in their current roles, attributed to either organizational pay adjustments or recognition of strong individual performance.
Financial data from the industrial and service sectors paints a nuanced picture of youth compensation in Taiwan's economy. Young employees earned an average annual salary of NT$515,000 (US$15,512) in 2023, with the median figure standing at NT$450,000 (US$13,554). These figures represent modest but steady growth, with average salaries increasing by 2.8% and median salaries growing by 3.6% year-over-year. The typical workweek for nearly three-quarters (73.2%) of young workers falls between 40 and 41 hours, with the overall average settling at 38.7 hours weekly. While most young workers (65.6%) report minimal overtime requirements, a significant minority (34.4%) work additional hours either occasionally or frequently. Among those working overtime, the monthly average reaches 13.3 hours, with a notable gender disparity – male workers log 15.6 overtime hours monthly compared to 11.4 hours for their female counterparts.
