Job Discussion Forums

[psychedelic]

Hello,
My questions are:
1. How is the economy in Taiwan? Is economic growth expected this year?
Next year?
2. Are there many teaching jobs? Are there particular cities where it would be easier to find work teaching adults?
3. What is Ilan like? Population? How are the Taiwanese there towards foreigner's?

Thanks!

[WorkingVaca]

The Taiwan economy isn't too bad compared with other places I guess. I would guess that economic growth is expected but it'll be lower than in years past, just as in all the other industrialized countries.

There are many teaching jobs, mostly for children. But many adults want lessons too. And corporations often pay teachers to come to their offices for group classes. I would guess Taipei is the best place to find teaching for adults, as it's the capital city and there are more business people here dealing with international issues, so need (or think they need) English lessons.

I have no idea what it's like to live in Ilan.

Taiwanese are friendly towards foreigners.

[Aristotle]

The economy in Taiwan is dependent on the US economy. The vast majority of the GDP is based on exports to the US.
The demand for teachers has lessened in many areas. Kaohsiung seems to be still expanding but the rest of the island has reached critical mass as far as ESL teaching goes.
The public school system has started to hire foreign teachers but be warned nearly all foreign teachers are hired through a third party(agent). That means you have no guarantee of getting paid and your ARC may not have been obtained through legitimate means, if it is obtained at all. Most reports we have from teachers in Taichung, Nantou, Ilan and Chaiyi public schools indicate that their taxes were withheld but never submitted to the tax bureau. They also have been refused the right to participate in the National Health Insurance program.
As always,
caution is advised.

[michelle yu]

Last April, we took a look at the economy of Taiwan. Taiwan's economy cis no doubt recovering from its recession of 2001, but still has not returned to the strong economic growth of the late 1990s. After contracting by 2.2% in 2001, Taiwan's real gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 3.5% in 2002. Real GDP growth for 2003 is projected at 3.8%. Taiwan's economy is heavily oriented toward the manufacturing of consumer electronics products, and weak demand for these products as a result of slowing growth in key export markets contributed to Taiwan's recession.

Conversely, recovery in export demand in late 2002 and early 2003 has helped the country's eeconomic recovery.

You may be interested in knowing Taiwan was admitted to membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2001, concurrently with China's admission. Unlike China, Taiwan has been admitted to the WTO as a "developed country," which imposes more stringent requirements for reducing barriers to foreign competition. Taiwan recently has lifted some restrictions on direct trade with and investment in mainland China, which is expected to increase cross-strait commercial ties.

Here are some other facts:

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)
Exchange Rate (4/29/03): US$1 = NT$35.1
Gross Domestic Product (2002E): $282 billion
Real GDP Growth Rate (2002E): 3.5% (2003F): 3.8%
Inflation Rate (consumer prices, 2002E): -0.2% (2003F): 0.4%
Unemployment Rate (2002E): 5.2%
Total Reserves, Non-Gold (2002E): $161.7 billion
Current Account Balance (2002E): $25.7 billion
Merchandise Exports (2002E): $129.9 billion
Merchandise Imports (2002E): $105.2 billion
Merchandise Trade Surplus (2002E): $24.7 billion
Major Exports: Consumer electrionics, machinery, chemicals & allied products, iron & steel, plastics
Major Imports: Crude oil, capital goods, consumer goods, agricultural and industrial raw materials
Major Trading Partners: United States, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong (China)

More information can be found at: Taipei Economic and Cultural Office -- Information Division

Sources for this report include: Asian Wall Street Journal; CIA World Factbook 2002; Dow Jones News Wire service; Economist Intelligence Unit ViewsWire; GlobalInsight Asia Economic Outlook; Oil & Gas Journal; Petroleum Intelligence Weekly; Platt's Oilgram News; Reuters News Wire; U.S. Energy Information Administration; U.S. Department of State.

[Gstyles]

I dont know much about your other questions, but so far almost every Taiwanese person I've met has been friendly.

[Aristotle]

Friendly and helpful in most instances. As a general rule the local people are very nice unless they are driving or doing business.