Regular pay in January averaged NT$44,369 (US$1,562.12), up 0.89 percent from a month earlier and 2.91 percent year-on-year, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said on Thursday.
The monthly growth was the highest since July last year, but the real annual increase was only 0.06 percent after deducting a 2.84 percent rise in the consumer price index, Department of Census Deputy Director Chen Hui-hsin (陳惠欣) said.
The largest hike was in the securities and financial sector, with the average regular salary increasing 4.78 percent, while the air cargo transport industry (up 3.39 percent) was second and the marine transport sector (up 3.12 percent) was third, DGBAS data showed.
Photo: CNA
Average irregular earnings in January were NT$64,527, which combined with regular pay totaled NT$108,896.
The average income increased 51.26 percent from a year earlier.
Chen ascribed the increase to the timing of annual and performance bonuses, which are usually paid in late January or early February, depending on the date of the Lunar New Year.
Lunar New Year day was on Feb. 1 this year and on Feb. 12 last year.
Irregular earnings in January varied from industry to industry, Chen said.
The financial sector had the highest level of irregular earnings, with an average of NT$213,000 for the month, with the telecommunications sector (NT$177,000) second, the air cargo transport sector (NT$169,000) third and the marine transport sector (NT$165,000) fourth, she said.
As of the end of January, 8.17 million people were employed in the industrial and services sectors, a decrease of 3,000 from a month earlier, but an increase of 3,000 from a year earlier, DGBAS data showed.
Real estate agent and property developer JSL Construction & Development Co (愛山林) led the average compensation rankings among companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) last year, while contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) finished 14th. JSL Construction paid its employees total average compensation of NT$4.78 million (US$159,701), down 13.5 percent from a year earlier, but still ahead of the most profitable listed tech giants, including TSMC, TWSE data showed. Last year, the average compensation (which includes salary, overtime, bonuses and allowances) paid by TSMC rose 21.6 percent to reach about NT$3.33 million, lifting its ranking by 10 notches
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