Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/12
By: Pan Tzu-yu and Frances Huang

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) The average monthly earnings of Taiwanese workers slid in June as Taiwan's export-oriented economy was hurt by weaker global demand resulting from trade friction between the United States and China, Taiwan's statistics bureau reported Monday.

Average monthly earnings, which includes regular salary plus bonuses, overtime pay and other irregular income, fell 0.44 percent in June from a year earlier to NT$48,286 (US$1,538), according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).

Average regular salary, however, was up 2.38 percent year-on-year to NT$41,782 in June, suggesting that the fall in total earnings was due to employers cutting bonuses or reducing overtime hours, said Pan Ning-hsin (潘寧馨), deputy director of the DGBAS' census department.

In June, average overtime hours fell 0.3 hours, or 3.66 percent, from a year earlier to 7.9 hours, while total working hours dropped 5.9 hours, or 3.56 percent, from a year earlier to 159.6, DGBAS figures showed.    [FULL  STORY]