August 7, 2007
Due to wider access to education, the labor participation rate from Jan. to June rose to 58.15%, the highest in 10 years, according to the Directorate General for Budgeting, Accounting, and Statistics (DGBAS).
This figure was among the employment statistics reported at a routine press conference held by DGBAS, which also announced mid-year figures. The conference was presided over by DGBAS official Huang Jiaan-jong.
The unemployment rate in June was 3.96%, rising 0.09 percentage points over May. The rate is the lowest for this period in seven years. The slight rise is attributed to an influx of new graduates seeking employment, said Huang.
The average unemployment rate for the first six months of the year was 3.86%, and represents a 0.01 percentage point drop on last year, Huang said. The rate is also the lowest for this period in seven years.
The average number of employed persons in the first six months of the year was 10.249 million persons, rising 2.05% -- an increase of 206,000 persons. The number of unemployed persons in June was 423,000 persons, an increase of 10,000 persons from May.
Also in the first half of the year, the available labor force -- or people able to work -- numbered 10.061 million persons -- a 2.04% rise over the same period last year, and clearly higher than the non-labor force participation rate of 0.17%. This indicates that the desire to enter the labor market is rising, said Huang.
In addition, in June, the non-labor force numbered 7.692 million persons, an increase of 0.10% from May. Of this figure, the number of persons ready and seeking work numbered 188,000 persons. Those studying or preparing for school numbered 2.236 million persons; homemakers numbered 2.369 million; and the elderly and disabled accounted for 2.148 million persons.
(Central News Agency)
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