TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A leading job bank in Taiwan has reported the lowest number of employment opportunities in four years amid the toll the Wuhan virus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken on the country’s economy.

There are currently 488,000 full-time vacancies on the website of the leading 104 Job Bank, representing a 7 percent year-on-year dip. Around 299,000 jobs, or 60 percent of the total, invite fresh graduates to apply, wrote UDN.

104 Job Bank said the retail and food and beverage industries are among the hardest hit by the coronavirus fallout, but they still offer more than 60,000 opportunities that welcome college graduates. Nevertheless, the pandemic has discouraged those fresh out of school from seeking employment, with data showing the lowest application rate for full-time jobs in March in three years.

While many companies have halted recruitment plans, demand for talent in e-commerce, marketing, and research and development remains robust, said Joanna Huang (黃于純), general manager of 104 job bank. Yes123, another job bank in Taiwan, has also reported a surge in vacancies in areas from AI, automation, 5G, to fintech, reported Newtalk.

According to a survey by Yes123, 95.1 percent of the 902 surveyed businesses are looking for new recruits who are graduating this year. The average starting salaries for college and graduate students after graduation are NT$29,506 (US$981) and NT$32,268 (US$1,073), respectively.