By Crystal Hsu /
The average wage in Taiwan rose in April, outpacing inflation and signaling steady labor market strength, data released yesterday by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed.Average monthly take-home pay for salaried workers was NT$49,146 (US$1,554) in April, up 2.9 percent year on year, the data showed.Including bonuses and overtime, total average earnings climbed to NT$57,486, or a 3.6 percent increase from a year earlier, the data showed.
A man walks out of a restaurant door on which job vacancy notices are hanging in New Taipei City on May 11.
The median monthly wage — viewed as a better gauge of typical earnings because it is less affected by extreme highs and lows — grew 3.17 percent to NT$39,348, meaning half of all workers earned below that level.The gains were supported by strong global demand for electronics used in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, Census Department Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said.
Taiwan is a key hub for the world’s leading suppliers of advanced chips, servers and other electronic components.After adjusting for inflation, real regular wages rose 1.4 percent in the first four months of the year — the most robust growth for the period in six years — while real average total wages also recorded their highest January-April increase in eight years, indicating that wage growth continues to outpace consumer prices, the data showed.“Although geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pushed up international oil prices, Taiwan’s inflation remained relatively contained due to government price stabilization measures,” Tan said.The consumer price index rose 1.35 percent in the first four months, lower than a year earlier, helping support real wage growth, the agency said.Wage gaps across industries remained pronounced. The financial and insurance sector posted the highest median monthly wage at NT$59,832, followed by publishing, audiovisual and information services at NT$54,447, and professional, scientific and technical services at NT$45,087, it said.At the lower end, accommodation and food services, and other service industries recorded median wages of NT$31,594 and NT$30,964 respectively, it said.Manufacturing stood at NT$37,646, below the overall median, although the electronics components segment was NT$48,147, reflecting improved earnings in AI-linked industries, it said.Demand from AI also pushed up overtime hours, the DGBAS said.Manufacturers of electronic components logged an average of 29.6 overtime hours in April, the highest for the month on record, it said.The computer, electronic products and optical devices sector recorded 18.1 overtime hours, the highest April level in 47 years, driven by demand for AI servers and high-performance computing, it said.The agency also said that 31.4 percent of companies have implemented or plan to implement pay raises this year, while nearly 40 percent have yet to decide.The share of firms raising wages could exceed last year’s level if economic momentum continues, Tan said.
