Unemployment in Taiwan rose 0.08 percentage points in February from January to 3.95 percent. That is the highest level in 16 months according to government statistics released on Tuesday.
The government statistics office said February’s jobless rate is usually affected by the Chinese New Year holidays. In the last 10 years, unemployment rates in February usually rise between 0.05 and 0.14 percentage points from January. February’s increase this year is about the same compared to a year earlier, with the labor market still affected by the sluggish economy. But the unemployment rate this February is the second lowest for February in the past eight years.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was the highest in February for those holding college degrees or higher at 4.9 percent. The jobless rate was the highest at 11.9 percent for those in the 15-24 age bracket.