Taiwan's jobless rate in September falls to 24-year low

Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's unemployment rate in September declined slightly from a month earlier to 3.43 percent, the lowest for that month in 24 years, as the graduation season came to an end and the jobless situation gradually stabilized, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Thursday.

The jobless rate edged down 0.05 percentage points from August to 3.43 percent, ending three consecutive months of increase, DGBAS data showed.

According to the DGBAS, the unemployment rate usually rises each year during the graduation period, from June to August, then falls in September.

The 3.43 percent jobless rate recorded in September was the lowest for that month in Taiwan in 24 years, the data showed.

Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲), deputy director of the DGBAS' Census Department, said that as the seasonal factors gradually fade, the unemployment rate will continue to fall in October, if there are no surprises.

The unemployment number in September declined by 7,000, or 1.55 percent, from a month earlier to 412,000, the DGBAS data showed.

The number of people unemployed due to dissatisfaction with their jobs decreased in September by 4,000, while the number of unemployed people seeking work for the first time dropped by 2,000, the data indicated.

After seasonal adjustments, the unemployment rate was 3.38 percent in September, up 0.02 percentage points from a month earlier, marking the second consecutive month of growth, the data showed.

The number of people who lost their jobs due to business closures or downsizing increased by more than 1,000 in September from a month earlier to 101,000.

Given the insignificant growth of the two numbers, the unemployment rate can be said to be stable, Tan said.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was highest among people 20-24 years old, at 12.14 percent, because of the high concentration of first-time jobseekers in that age group, followed by those aged 15-19, at 9.88 percent, according to the DGBAS data.

The jobless rate among those aged 25-29 was 6.14 percent, and 3.40 percent in the 30-34 age category, the data showed.