Taiwan jobless rate rises to 4.08 pct in August

TAIPEI - Taiwan's unemployment rate was 4.08 percent last month, up 0.06 percent from July, and 0.18 percent higher year on year, according to Taiwan's statistics agency Thursday.

There were around 480,000 unemployed people in Taiwan at the end of August and 11.29 million employed, according to a statement on the agency's website. New university graduates' entry into the labor market in the month were cited as having an affect on the figures.

The seasonally-adjusted rate of unemployment for the month was 3.95 percent, down 0.01 percent form July, the agency added.

The data also included the island's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, which registered a 0.03 percent monthly decrease in August. The CPI was 0.57 percent higher year on year.