DGBAS explained that Taiwan’s business climate has not fully recovered from the economic recession and that unfixed income — which includes an employee’s annual and performance bonuses — has seriously declined in most industrial and private business sectors. A decline in bonuses, an increase in unpaid holidays and a decrease in paid work hours were all factors in the 0.41-percent decline in average monthly earnings. According to DGBAS, average fixed monthly income dropped 0.16 percent to NT$46,887 in the January to September period. The real average salary was NT$43,103, down 2.09 percent year-on-year. Statistics also showed that average monthly work time in September was 173.7 hours — a decrease of 12.8 hours from August and a decrease of 5.3 hours compared to September 2011. The average paid work hour number in January 2012 was 0.7 hours lower than for the same month last year. The average fixed and unfixed earnings fell 0.16 percent to NT$46,887 since January of this year. According to DGBAS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 110.34 in October, down 0.05 percent from the preceding month but up 2.36 percent compared with the same month in 2011. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was 109.80. The WPI declined 1.36 percent from the preceding month and declined 3.64 percent compared to the same month in 2011.
