With concerns over domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases easing, the number of people in employment and the average regular wage both moved higher for the third consecutive month in September, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).
Data compiled by the DGBAS showed that the number of people employed in the industrial and service sectors totaled about 8.12 million at the end of September, up 24,000 from the end of August.
As consumers appeared more willing to spend, the number of employees in the lodging and food and beverage industries rose by 9,000 from a month earlier, while the number of people employed in the support service industry, which includes many travel agencies, also grew by 4,000.
In addition, the number of employees in the education industry, which is largely comprised of cram schools and pre-schools, as well as the medical care and social work industries rose by 3,000 from a month earlier in September.
Chen Hui-hsin (???), deputy director of the DGBAS census department, said the improvement in the domestic COVID-19 situation has eased restrictions on people movement, resulting in recovering business activities and giving a boost to domestic consumption.
In addition to higher employment, Chen said that the eased COVID-19 fears also pushed up wages in the country at the end of September.
The DGBAS’s data indicated that the average monthly regular wages in the industrial and service sectors in September stood at NT$43,378 (US$1,560), up 0.39 percent from a month earlier. The September figure was also up 1.74 percent from a year earlier, according to the data.
Average regular wages in the lodging and food and beverage, medical care, and social work industries rose more significantly by 2.64 percent and 2.56 percent, respectively, from a month earlier in September, in the wake of growing domestic spending.
In addition, average regular wages in the entertainment and leisure industries also increased by 2.41 percent and 2.25 percent, respectively, the DGBAS said.
In September, average monthly earnings, which are comprised of regular wages and non-regular wages such as overtime pay and bonuses, fell 0.44 percent from a month earlier to NT$52,087.
However, this figure was 3.45 percent higher than for the same month one year ago.
In the first nine months of this year, average regular wages and average monthly earnings rose 1.77 percent and 2.75 percent from the previous year, respectively to NT$43,030 and NT$57,095.
But after inflationary adjustments, average regular wages and average monthly earnings rose only 0.04 percent and 1.00 percent, respectively, in the nine-month period.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel