Premier Mao Chi-kuo said on Thursday that Taiwan’s labor force will lose 180,000 people annually over the next 10 years. According to the National Development Council, the size of Taiwan’s labor force has reached a peak over the last three years.
Mao said that the government must think of new policies to deal with future declines in the working age population.
"Imagine these 180,000 people for a moment. On the one hand, we don’t have enough people in the 15 to 65 working age group. On the other hand, the aging population is growing," said Mao.
"In the future, the working-age population will fall by 180,000 people per year, which will amount to a decrease of 1.8 million people over 10 years. Such a decline in the labor force will pose a more serious threat to the country than the drop in the overall population," he said.
Premier Mao said that the government will have to work to increase participation in the work force. He said the government is also considering how to use the elderly population in the work force.
Mao also said that the government has to think of ways to help people overcome the problems that are deterring them from having children.