Taiwan Faces 276,000 Job Vacancies as Survey Reveals Gaps Across Key Industries

Intermediate | September 16, 2025

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Big Picture: Taiwan Job Vacancies and Labor Shortage Problem

A survey released by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor says there are 276,000 job vacancies across the country as of the end of March. (Taipei Times) The overall vacancy rate is 3.1%, meaning about 3 out of every 100 jobs are open. (Focus Taiwan) This survey is the first nationwide survey of labor shortage Taiwan has done, launched in April to track how many jobs are unfilled and why. The results highlight the scale of Taiwan job vacancies and the challenges they create.

Which Sectors Are Most Affected by Taiwan Job Vacancies

The survey divides the vacancies between two broad sectors: industry and services. Industry jobs have about 114,000 openings, around 41.3% of the total; services have about 162,000 jobs, or 58.7%. (Taipei Times)

When it comes to specific industries, manufacturing leads with 92,000 vacancies (33.5% of all openings). (Focus Taiwan) Other sectors with large numbers of open jobs include wholesale and retail (47,000), and accommodation & food services (25,000). Together, these three sectors make up nearly 60% of all job vacancies.

Full-time vs Part-time & Special Roles

Of the 276,000 job openings, 253,000 are full-time roles (~91.7%), and 23,000 are part-time (~8.3%). (Taipei Times) Among full-time vacancies, professionals (65,000) make up the largest share, followed by skilled machinery operators & assemblers (60,000), then technicians and assistant professionals (53,000). (Focus Taiwan)

How Long It Takes to Fill Jobs

The survey also recorded how long positions remain open. On average, open vacancies last about 3.5 months. (Focus Taiwan) Some roles are even slower to fill: skilled machinery operators & assemblers take about 4.1 months, and entry-level technical or laborer roles take around 4 months. In contrast, service or sales roles fill more quickly — many in about 3.7 months.

What’s Driving the Shortage & What’s at Stake

One major factor behind the job vacancies is Taiwan’s declining birth rate, which means fewer young workers are entering the labor market. (Taipei Times) Also, some industries struggle to find workers with the right skills — especially in manufacturing and technical roles. When jobs in those sectors remain open too long, companies miss deadlines or slow down production.

On the upside, this could push Taiwan to improve vocational training, re‑skilling programs, or attract more people into roles that are hard to fill. For workers, it might mean better job offers or more negotiating power. But it also creates pressure: wages might need to rise, work conditions improve, or immigration policy adjusted.

Vocabulary

Vacancy (noun) – a job position that is unfilled; an open spot.
Example: There are 276,000 vacancies across Taiwan according to the survey.
Sector (noun) – a part or division of the economy (such as industry or services).
Example: The service sector has more vacancies than the industrial sector.
Overall (adjective) – taking everything into account; total.
Example: The overall vacancy rate is 3.1%.
Industry (noun) – economic activity concerned with manufacturing or production.
Example: Manufacturing industry is facing many job vacancies.
Manufacturing (noun) – the process of making goods in factories.
Example: Manufacturing accounted for the most job vacancies in this survey.
Professional (noun/adjective) – relating to specialized, skilled work; a person in a profession.
Example: Professional roles topped the list among full-time vacancies.
Recruitment (noun) – the process of finding and hiring people.
Example: Recruitment times averaged 3.5 months.
Declining (adjective) – becoming less or fewer; decreasing.
Example: Taiwan’s declining birth rate is reducing available workers.
Skill (noun) – ability or expertise in a certain area.
Example: Some jobs stay unfilled because of a shortage of skilled workers.
Full-time (adjective) – working the full required hours as a job.
Example: Most of the open positions are full-time.

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

Why is Taiwan experiencing so many job vacancies now?
Which industries are most affected by vacancies, and why might that be?
How does the difference between full-time and part-time vacancies matter for workers and employers?
Why are some roles taking longer to fill than others?
What could be the long-term risks if the job vacancy trend continues?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

What can governments do to help reduce job vacancies in areas with labor shortages?
How should education or training systems respond if industries need more skilled workers?
Do you think immigration or increasing retirees working are good solutions to labor shortages?
How might demographic trends (e.g. aging, birth rate) impact a country’s economy in the future?
If you were part of a company struggling to fill vacancies, what strategies would you try?

Related Idiom or Phrase

“A race against time” — trying to finish something before it’s too late or before a deadline.

Example: Taiwan is in a race against time to fill these job vacancies as its workforce grows smaller due to the declining birth rate.

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This article was inspired by Taipei Times and Focus Taiwan reports. (Taipei Times)