TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's unemployment rate edged marginally higher to 3.35% in March, according to data released Tuesday (April 22) by the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS, 主計總處), the island's premier economic data agency. While representing a fractional 0.01 percentage point increase from February's figures, officials emphasized that the rate still stands as the lowest March unemployment level recorded in a quarter-century, signaling continued resilience in Taiwan's labor markets despite global economic headwinds.
Seasonally adjusted figures showed the March jobless rate at 3.36%, also representing a minimal 0.01 percentage point uptick. The broader first-quarter average for 2025 registered at 3.33%, which marks a slight improvement of 0.03 percentage points compared to the same period last year. DGBAS spokesperson Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) explained that March's minor increase primarily stemmed from typical post-Lunar New Year employment shifts, with approximately 3,000 workers entering unemployment after voluntarily leaving positions due to job dissatisfaction.
Government analysts maintain that Taiwan's overall employment landscape continues to show stability, with no immediate disruptions evident from the recent implementation of reciprocal tariffs reintroduced by former U.S. President Donald Trump. "The economic environment contains heightened uncertainty," Tan cautioned, explaining that her agency will vigilantly track unemployment indicators in coming months as potential tariff impacts could materialize across Taiwan's export-oriented economy during the year's second half. She added that while April traditionally shows declining unemployment, the tariff situation introduces an unpredictable element that could alter historical patterns. ★