Taiwan sees first real wage decline in seven years
Taiwan’s average regular earnings for employed workers increased by 2.49% from January to October, reaching NT$45,441. However, this growth is the lowest in the past three years, with total earnings, including bonuses and other irregular income, only up by 1.53%. The average monthly real wage slightly increased by 0.06% to NT$41,370, while the average total real wage decreased by 0.87% to NT$53,960, the first decline in seven years. This decline is attributed to a decrease in year-end bonuses following a cooling economy and a decrease in exports. Despite an overall increase in employment of 10,000 workers compared to last year, the manufacturing industry saw a significant drop of 27,000 employees due to economic adjustments. In October, the average regular wage was NT$45,564, up 0.13% from the previous month and 2.31% year-on-year. Part-time workers’ average hourly regular earnings increased marginally to NT$200, reflecting a 1.01% year-on-year gain. While industries such as arts, entertainment, and leisure services, as well as real estate, experienced wage increases, sectors like computer, electronic, and optical product manufacturing saw significant decreases in total wages by 18.54%. The employment numbers in manufacturing have been impacted by export decline, with an increase of 10,000 employed workers from January to October. The industrial sector saw a decrease of 0.63%, while the service sector grew by 0.67%. Accommodation and food services experienced a growth of 13,000 jobs, arts, entertainment, and leisure services saw an upsurge of 7,000, but manufacturing was hit with a reduction of 27,000 employees.
2023/12/12 10:17