Taiwanese workers earned an average of NT$47,000 per month this year, but 40 percent are struggling financially and 18 percent plan to switch jobs within 12 months, two separate surveys showed yesterday.
The amount equals a 5.4 percent increase from a year earlier to a decade high, 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) said.
The government is due to review the nation’s minimum wages.
Photo: Hsu Li-chuan, Taipei Times
Employees at computer and consumer electronics manufacturers reported the highest average monthly wage of NT$60,000 a month, followed by semiconductor firms at NT$59,000, and vendors of shoe and textile products, along with software and Internet businesses at NT$55,000, 104 Job Bank said.
Tech firms and financial institutes offered higher monthly wages than others, while 40 of 63 sectors offered wages below the average, it said.
Monthly wages for employees at social welfare companies was NT$38,000, while wedding studios, hair salons and property managers paid NT$39,000 to NT$40,000, it said.
Average monthly wages at restaurants, retailers, hotels and recreational facilities also underperformed at about NT$43,000, it said.
The average salary increased NT$1,454 after inflation adjustment, it said.
However, the highest-paying jobs offered 57 percent higher salary than the lowest-paying jobs, it said.
The findings pose challenges for employers seeking to recruit talent, the job bank said, as Taiwan’s economic recovery is gaining traction and labor shortages have exceeded 1 million for 16 consecutive months.
The data also help explain why most Taiwanese workers are overwhelmed with inflation and do not feel the benefits of economic growth, it said.
A separate survey by consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Taiwan showed that 57 percent of employees in Taiwan had surplus money after paying their bills, while 40 percent were having financial difficulties.
A total of 33 percent of employees said their job became more challenging last year and their workload had significantly increased, the advisory firm said, adding that 17 percent said their workload was unbearable.
Eighteen percent of workers were considering changing jobs within 12 months and 51 percent planned to learn new skills, the survey showed.
Ninety percent of workers believed that generative artificial intelligence would enhance their working efficiency and 36 percent were looking at better pay because of the new technology, the survey said.
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