TAIPEI （Taiwan News）— Job vacancies in Taiwan have dropped 10 percent in the past three weeks amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, with only one-third of industries either maintaining the same level of recruitment or increasing hiring efforts, 104 Corporation said Wednesday (May 26).

Huang Yu-chun (黃于純), the job bank's general manager, pointed out that industries such as finance, semiconductors, computers, electronics, and optical product manufacturing were less affected by the nationwide Level 3 restrictions. In fact, jobs available in the financial industry have risen from 13,000 to 14,000, he said.

However, the catering, advertising, accommodation, retail, and wholesale industries saw a notable drop in employment opportunities, with 11,871 positions closed in the catering field alone.

Huang said that the employment slump is likely to continue for the upcoming job-hunting season, and he suggested that those seeking work look to industries less impacted by the coronavirus. Regarding job positions, Huang said those related to the domestic market should be avoided and encouraged people to find work related to exporting and e-commerce.

The recent wave of COVID cases has worried many in Taiwan. A survey conducted by 104 between May 22 and 24 revealed that more than 63 percent out of a pool of 803 respondents are uneasy about the epidemic, a significant increase from last year's 40.9 percent.

Career anxiety is another issue job applicants face. About 72.3 percent of 104's users are currently seeking work, and 76 percent report receiving fewer invitations to interviews or have had deferrals or cancelations due to the outbreak.