Fewer employees, lower salaries in Taiwan's industrial, service sectors

TAIPEI, June 10 -- Taiwan's industrial and service sectors hired fewer people and offered lower salaries in April due to the impacts of COVID-19, the island's statistics agency said Wednesday.

The number of employees in the two sectors dropped by 0.44 percent from the end of March to 7.93 million by the end of April, and by 0.05 percent year-on-year, the agency said in a press release.

The figure has continued to fall month on month in the first four months of this year and reduced year on year for the first time since the global financial crisis in 2008.

The number of employees at the accommodation-and-catering sector shrank the most, down by 12,000, the agency said.

Meanwhile, the average monthly salary for employees in Taiwan's industrial and service sectors reduced by 0.41 percent month on month to about 42,100 new Taiwan dollars (about 1,423 U.S. dollars) in April.

The salary level in the aviation sector slipped the most, falling by 3.3 percent month on month, followed by a reduction of 1.66 percent in the education sector.

The average working hours of the employees also reduced by 12.6 hours from March to 162.9 hours on average in April, down 2.7 hours year on year.