TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan wages outpaced inflation in the first nine months of the year, with real total pay up 1.87%, the sharpest increase in seven years, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said Monday.

Average monthly pay from January to September was NT$47,751 (US$1,540), up 3% from a year earlier, DGBAS said. After adjusting for inflation, regular pay rose 1.21%, the fastest pace in five years, signaling a modest gain in purchasing power.

In September, average pay including bonuses and overtime reached NT$57,452, up 1.85% year on year. The median pay, which better reflects typical earnings, was NT$38,632, a 3.56% rise from last year, per CNA.

DGBAS Deputy Director Tan Wen-ling (譚文玲) said total pay rose faster than regular pay because the electronics industry remained strong. Tan said workers are feeling less of the inflation bite as income grows in real terms.

She added that recent minimum-wage increases and company raises helped lift overall earnings. Still, about 70% of employees earned less than the average.

Economic Daily News reported pay levels varied by industry, with restaurant and hotel workers averaging about NT$31,563 a month and manufacturing workers about NT$36,665.