Jobless Rate Soars to 31-year High of 5.75% in Feb.

Taipei, March 24, 2009 (CENS)--The situation of Taiwan's job market deteriorated further in February, when the unemployment rate climbed to 5.75%, the highest since the job survey began in 1978, boosting the unemployed population to 624,000, reported the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics (DGBAS) yesterday (March 23). Of the unemployed population, 329,000 lost their jobs due to business contraction or closures, underscoring the phenomenon of extensive layoff amid the recession. Including the dependents of the unemployed, the unemployed problem has affected the livelihood of 1.37 million local people. Meanwhile, average nominal regular pays decreased, for …