Taiwan jobless rate up for 2nd straight month in July

Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's jobless rate rose from a month earlier for the second consecutive month in July as more new graduates entered the local job market, pushing up the number of first-time jobseekers, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said.

Data compiled by the DGBAS showed the country's unemployment rate rose 0.05 percentage points from June to 3.39 percent, the highest level since August 2025, when the jobless rate stood at 3.45 percent.

However, the July figure fell 0.01 percentage points from a year earlier, making it the lowest July level in 26 years.

After seasonal adjustments, Taiwan's jobless rate remained unchanged at 3.33 percent, the data showed.

In the first seven months of this year, the local unemployment rate averaged 3.32 percent, down 0.02 percentage points from a year earlier, the DGBAS said.

In July, the number of unemployed rose 7,000, or 1.65 percent, from a month earlier to 409,000, while the number of employed grew 14,000, or 0.13 percent, to 11.65 million.

The labor force participation rate rose 0.10 percentage points from June to 59.66 percent, the highest July level in 35 years, the DGBAS said.

The DGBAS said the number of first-time jobseekers rose 4,000 from a month earlier in July, while the number of those who lost jobs due to the termination of seasonal and temporary contracts also rose 3,000.

Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲), deputy director of the agency's Census Department, told reporters that the higher July jobless rate was largely due to the graduation season, but after seasonal adjustments, employment stayed flat, indicating a stable local job market.

Tan said the higher labor force participation rate showed increased willingness among jobseekers to enter the job market, a positive sign for the local job market.

She said government policies to encourage women to join the job market also pushed up the labor force participation rate.

By education level, those with a university degree had the highest unemployment rate at 4.54 percent in July, while the jobless rate was 3.11 percent for individuals with a senior high school education and 1.98 percent for those with a junior high school education, the DGBAS added.

In addition, the unemployment rate among the 15-24 age group was 11.71 percent in July, reflecting the large number of first-time jobseekers in that age group, while the rate was 5.82 percent for the 25-29 age group and 3.29 percent for the 30-34 age group, the DGBAS said.

DGBAS data also showed that 122,000 people were classified as time-related underemployed workers in July, up 1,000, or 0.87 percent, from a month earlier. The figure also rose 5,000, or 3.89 percent, from a year earlier.

The International Labour Organization defines people in time-related underemployment as workers whose hours are insufficient compared with a more desirable employment situation in which they are willing and available to work more.