Jobless rate edges lower in October to 3.36%

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's unemployment rate fell for the second consecutive month in October following a decline in first-time job seekers, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Monday.

Data compiled by the DGBAS showed the jobless rate fell 0.02 percentage points from a month earlier to 3.36 percent in October, the lowest level for the month in 25 years.

After seasonal adjustments, the local jobless rate was also down 0.02 percentage points from September to 3.33 percent in October, the data showed.

In October, about 404,000 people were unemployed, down 3,000 or 0.63 percent from a month earlier, primarily due to a drop in first-time job seekers, as more and more graduates have landed a job, said Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲), deputy director of the agency's Census Department.

Meanwhile, the number of time-related underemployed workers (people of working age not working full-time hours) was 126,000, down 3,000 or 2.43 percent from a month earlier and snapping a three-month rising streak, Tan said.

Overall, Tan said, Taiwan's employment data in October was "stable" and "excellent."

While U.S. tariffs have not had a major impact so far, in the absence of a Taiwan-U.S. agreement they remain a concern to employers and the largest source of uncertainty in the labor market, Tan said.