TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said Thursday that average earnings for Taiwan's industrial and service sector employees reached NT$113,846 (US$3,526) in January.

The figure shows a 38.18% year-over-year increase. This year, most companies in Taiwan issued year-end bonuses in January, raising the month's salary levels, per CNA. 

The administration said the average regular monthly salary reached NT$47,458 in January, a 2.91% year-over-year increase. Non-regular earnings, including bonuses and overtime, averaged NT$66,388.

In January, the financial and insurance sectors had the highest average earnings, at NT$299,000. Salaries in manufacturing, energy supply, transportation and storage, and information and communication also exceeded the average.

Electronics components and optical products manufacturing saw a rise in company revenue driven by increased demand for AI technology. In January, employee salaries in these sectors reached NT$160,000 and NT$179,000, respectively.

The average regular salary in accommodation and food services was NT$31,430 and NT$31,923, respectively.

Part-time employees' average January regular earnings were NT$20,059, down 0.98% from the previous month and 3.08% from the previous year. 

In January, the average overtime for Taiwan employees was 8.7 hours. The general manufacturing sector, driven by increased AI-related business and pre-Lunar New Year deadlines, saw an average of 15.8 overtime hours, the highest for that month in 10 years.

The electronics components manufacturing industry saw average overtime hours reach 24.7 in January, the highest for that month in 52 years.