Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/22/2020
By: Pan Tzu-yu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Sept. 22 (CNA) Taiwan's jobless rate for August fell slightly from a month earlier as domestic economic activity accelerated amid eased concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Tuesday.

Data compiled by the DGBAS showed that the August unemployment rate stood at 3.99 percent, down 0.01 percentage points from a month earlier, indicating an improving domestic economy.

The number of those who left the job market fell 1,000, or 0.20 percent, from a month earlier to 478,000 in August, while the number of the employed stood at 11.51 million, up 9,000, or 0.08 percent, the data indicated.

The drop in the jobless rate in August defied the conventional wisdom that the jobless rate would climb during the summer season, when many first-time jobseekers entered the market after graduation.     [FULL  STORY]