Taiwan's Jobless Rate Falls to 3.36%, the Lowest September in 26 Years, but Youth Unemployment Sits at 11.59%

Taiwan's unemployment rate fell to 3.36 percent in September, the lowest recorded for the month in 26 years, in figures from the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. The rate was down 0.05 percentage points from August, and the number of unemployed people fell by 6,000 to 405,000. The record is for September only. It is not the lowest rate Taiwan has ever posted, and the youngest job seekers had the highest unemployment rate of any age group. For Metaintro readers looking for work in Taiwan, or weighing a move there, the statistics release adds detail on how long job searches last and why many jobless people turn down offers, and other official data show what jobs pay and what support young job seekers can claim.

What Did Taiwan's September Jobs Data Actually Show?

The headline numbers moved in a mixed direction. The unemployment rate declined by 0.05 percentage points to 3.36 percent in September, while total employment decreased by 15,000 in September to 11,640,000. Compared with a year earlier, employment was up by 10,000 and the jobless count was down 2,000 from the same month last year.

The fall in joblessness came mainly from two groups. First-time job seekers fell by 3,000, and people who left jobs they were unhappy with fell by 2,000 (translated), as recent graduates moved into work.

Over the year so far, the picture is steady rather than dramatic. The average number of unemployed people from January to September was 402,000, down 1,000 from the same period a year earlier, and the average jobless rate for those nine months was 3.34%, in the statistics office's Chinese language release (translated).

Why Is 3.36% a September Record and Not an All-Time Low?

September was the first decline after rising for three consecutive months since June, as more fresh graduates found jobs. The government expects that easing to continue, and its forecast for October is a continuing decline in the unemployment rate.

The rate was 3.10% in September 2000, the last September with a lower figure, and 3.38% a year earlier.

The seasonally adjusted series did not improve. That rate rose 0.01 percentage points from August to 3.33 percent. The broader underutilization gauges did improve, with the LU2, LU3 and LU4 measures at 4.34 percent, 4.33 percent and 5.26 percent, each lower than in August.

By age group, people aged 15-24 had the highest unemployment rate at 11.59 percent, as most were first-time job seekers adjusting to the workplace, the DGBAS said, according to the Focus Taiwan report.

Why Is Youth Unemployment Still at 11.59%?

The age breakdown shows a steep ladder. Joblessness was 11.59% for ages 15 to 24, 5.69% for ages 25 to 29 and 3.4% for ages 30 to 34, and it was below 3 percent among those aged 35-64. The statistics office links the gap to young people in that bracket being mostly first-time job seekers who are still adjusting to the workplace, with the rate falling as work becomes more stable (translated).

The youth rate did improve this month. The 15 to 24 rate was 11.74% in August and 11.71% a year earlier, both above September's figure, so the latest reading is lower on the month and on the year.

By education level, people with a university education had the highest jobless rate at 4.50%, against 3.10% for senior high and vocational school graduates and 3.02% for people with graduate degrees, in the Chinese release (translated).

The average spell of unemployment in September was 18.9 weeks, and 17.1 weeks for first-time job seekers, both shorter than in August.

Where Did Jobs Grow and Where Did They Shrink?

Employment in agriculture, industry and services decreased by 1,000, 8,000 and 6,000 in September, respectively.

The yearly view is where the growth sits. Compared with a year earlier, employment in agriculture and industry decreased by 13,000 and 9,000, respectively, while services employment increased by 32,000. For job seekers, that makes the services sector the part of the economy still adding people over the year, even as industry and farm headcounts slip.

The labor force participation rate was 59.59% in September, the highest for that month in 34 years, helped by women and middle-aged people returning to the workplace in higher proportions. Participation slipped 0.10 percentage points from August but was up 0.08 percentage points from the previous year.

In the May survey, married women aged 15 to 49 had a participation rate of 79.33%, up 9.95 percentage points over the past ten years (translated). Mothers' rate is rising faster, since the rate for those with children was 78.19%, against 85.44% for those without, but it rose 9.94 points over the decade compared with 7.03 points for women without children (translated).

Outside the labor force, the reasons are mostly age and family. Among people not working or looking for work in September, older people and people with disabilities made up 41.66%, those keeping house 29.18% and those studying or preparing for further study 17.22% (translated).

Why Are Many Job Seekers Turning Down Offers?

Alongside the September data, the statistics office released its annual manpower utilization survey, taken in May 2026 (translated). Among unemployed people, 44.08% had come across a job they could have taken but did not accept it, and the main reason was pay that fell short of expectations, cited by 66.15% (translated).

The rest never got that far. The 55.92% who had not come across any job offer most often blamed pay that fell short of expectations at 36.02% and not finding the type of job they wanted at 25.81% (translated).

The jobs people were hunting for were concentrated. Unemployed people were most often looking for production, machine operation and labor roles, at 24.35%, followed by clerical support roles at 20.39%, in the Chinese release (translated).

Is Part-Time and Temporary Work Rising in Taiwan?

Full-time regular workers made up 93.18% of employment in the May survey (translated). Atypical workers, meaning part-time, temporary or agency staff, made up 6.82% of all employed people, the lowest share since 2013 (translated). Temporary or agency workers made up 4.70% of employment, with both the number and share still falling (translated).

Part-time work is the exception. Part-time workers made up 3.82% of employment, with both the number and share at their highest since records began in 2006 (translated). Atypical workers most often gave the nature of the occupation (34.89%) and a preference for that type of work (22.97%) as their reason for doing it, while those who could not find a full-time regular job made up 5.23% (translated). Only 7.33% wanted to switch to full-time regular jobs (translated).

Labor representatives argued that the benefits of the 11.05 percent economic growth should be shared between workers and employers to the greatest extent possible, while employer representatives noted that industries in Taiwan have developed unevenly in recent years, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han said, according to the Focus Taiwan minimum wage report.

What Do Jobs in Taiwan Pay?

In August, for full-time employees with Taiwanese nationality, the median regular earnings was NT$41,353, increased yearly by 3.46%, and the average regular earnings was NT$52,523.

Part-time pay sits far lower. For part-time employees, the median regular earnings was NT$16,680, increased yearly by 2.38%. Across all employees, the irregular earnings was NT$16,308 in August.

The NT$30,900 wage floor is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. A ministry committee agreed to lift the monthly minimum wage from NT$29,500 to NT$30,900, and the hourly rate from NT$196 to NT$205. The 2027 minimum wage will be NT$30,900 a month and NT$205 an hour, the 11th straight annual rise, Premier Cho Jung-tai said after the Cabinet heard the Labor Ministry's report (translated). Since 2016, the monthly minimum has risen by nearly 54% in total and the hourly rate by 71%, and the 2027 monthly increase is the largest in that run (translated). The rise will not apply to migrant workers employed as live-in caregivers or domestic helpers, who are not covered by Taiwan's Labor Standards Act.

What Is Taiwan's New Resident Jobless Rate?

The release now carries a second unemployment rate. Taiwan's survey has long counted the household registered population, which includes citizens not living in Taiwan but excludes non-citizens who live there (translated). The office now also compiles a monthly resident population series to show the domestic labor market (translated).

On that resident basis, the September unemployment rate was 3.28%, down 0.05 percentage points from August (translated), and the participation rate was 60.54%. Because the resident count includes non-citizens who live in Taiwan (translated), it is the series that includes foreign residents, migrant workers among them, and its rate sits below the 3.36% headline figure.

What Support Can Young Job Seekers in Taiwan Get?

The Ministry of Labor runs a Youth Employment Support Program (translated) for 15 to 29 year olds, a range that includes the age group with the highest jobless rate. It is open to people aged 15 to 29 who are not in school, not working full time, and have been in that position for 60 consecutive days (translated), a threshold cut from the 90 days required by the earlier first-time job seeker program when this program started in September last year (translated).

The money comes in two parts. Participants who complete the program's job search steps but have not yet found work can claim a job search allowance of NT$6,000 a month for up to three months (translated), and those who find a job during the program and stay for 90 or 180 days can claim employment bonuses, with the allowance and bonuses subject to a combined cap (translated). More than 9,000 young people have joined the program's job search effort since it began (translated).

Applying is done online. Young job seekers register as a member on the Taiwan Jobs website, complete a vocational psychological test, and sign up in the program section (translated). Advisers then offer career direction assessment, resume writing guidance, interview skills training and job matching (translated). For people unsure which field to pick, the ministry has also set up five Youth Career Development Centers offering individual advice, workplace visits and resume checks (translated).

What This Means for Job Seekers in Taiwan, and What Should You Do Next?

The September record is real but narrow, since the seasonally adjusted rate did not fall. Long-term unemployment, a year or more out of work, was 42,000 people in September, down 3,000 on the month and 7,000 on the year (translated), and the data points to a few concrete moves.

• Budget for a long search. First-time job seekers averaged 17.1 weeks of unemployment in September. Plan savings and expectations around that, and do not read a quiet first month as failure.
• Claim the youth allowance early. If you are 15 to 29, out of school and without full-time work, the 60 day threshold makes you eligible to join, and participants who complete the job search steps but have not yet found work can claim NT$6,000 a month (translated).
• Benchmark offers against the median, not the average. The August median regular earnings of NT$41,353 for full-time Taiwanese employees is a realistic yardstick. Since 66.15% of people who turned down a job cited pay, knowing the market rate before you negotiate helps you judge an offer.
• Look where headcount is growing. Services employment was up 32,000 on the year while industry and agriculture shrank.

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People Also Asked

Q: What is Taiwan's latest unemployment rate?

A: It was 3.36%, the lowest for a September in 26 years, while the seasonally adjusted rate was 3.33 percent.

Q: Why is youth unemployment so high in Taiwan?

A: People aged 15 to 24 had a jobless rate of 11.59% in September, and the statistics office links it to most of them being first-time job seekers adjusting to the workplace.

Q: How many people are unemployed in Taiwan?

A: About 405,000 people were out of work in September, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous month.

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