Academics: Q1 Salary Figures Don't Reflect Reality|政院:Q1實質總薪資每月近六萬 創新高

The Cabinet announced that the average monthly salary in the first quarter of the year is a record high of almost NT$60,000. Academics say - though - this figure includes year-end bonuses which is not regular income so it doesn't reflect reality. Members of the public also disagree with the figure.


The government's statistics office said that the average monthly salary for the first season of the year stood at NT$ 59,852, and was a record high. However, the figure far from tells the real story of average Taiwanese employees.

When you look at the state of the service industry, it is impossible to achieve that figure. I think the pay gap is very large. It's getting extreme. And I think the figure is unclear.

I can't feel that (the salary is that high). People wouldn't have lined up for the latest cellphone plan savings.

The average salary is calculated as the sum total of regular salary, dividends, and various bonuses. Academics believe the government figure doesn't have much significance since regular salary and bonuses are completely different.

The recovery of the global economy last year has driven up Taiwan's export performance. On top of that, the Taiwan Stock Exchange broke the 10,000 mark last year, therefore employers are more generous than usual in paying bonuses and dividends to their employees. That explains the higher than normal total average salary. Since most dividends and bonuses are paid in the first quarter of the year, the total salary is driven higher as a result.

The academics believe that the so-called "record high" salary does not reflect the actual wage level of average employees. The academics said that the figure that the employees actually care about is the monthly salary. They say the government should face the growing pay gap instead of resorting to temporary policies that doesn't solve the problem in the long run.