The Taiwan Salary Increases Thread

[ThaiJuan]

It does appear that the average household size in South Korea (2.4) is a bit smaller than in Taiwan (~3), which would make the disparity in household income a bit less than that of per capita income.

[OysterOmelet]

@Brianjones

Yes they are stop spoofing.
Comparing the average between Korean and Taiwan govt stats 1.5x-2.0x Korea to Taiwan.

Where are these magical government stats you keep referring to?

[Whatevah]

Average Taiwan salary (with bonus and overtime) roughly 57K NTD per month. Source: ROC National Statistics Bureau

Average South Korean salary (with bonus and overtime) roughly 80k NTD per month. Source: National Tax Statistics Annual Report 2020

Edit: I use roughly because of changes in exchange rates. It doesn’t change that much though, the numbers should be correct give or take 2-3 percent.

[OysterOmelet]

Can you post the links?

24K isn’t as fantastical as 17K but that still seems low.

[Brianjones]

Enjoy

www.wage.go.kr

[OysterOmelet]

@Brianjones

Enjoy

www.wage.go.kr

The Korean figure you provided isn’t as crazy. It’s the Taiwan one.

[Whatevah]

Just google “ROC national statistics bureau” and then go to the earnings->total monthly earnings page.

[Brianjones]

https://eng.stat.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=1614&CtUnit=764&BaseDSD=7&mp=5

I see 54,160 ntd total earnings per mth (yr 2020)
Multiply by 12, divide by 28.5 =22, 804 USD/ yr.

[OysterOmelet]

@Whatevah

Just google “ROC national statistics bureau” and then go to the earnings->total monthly earnings page.

It said for January it was 75,145. Is that because of new year’s bonuses?
https://eng.stat.gov.tw/point.asp?index=4

[Brianjones]

Yes some coming in early.

[OysterOmelet]

@Aurelius

Now I can make sense of the the whole thing in parenthesis. It says,單位萬元(10,000 won units).

The bottom right hand corner says 韓國經濟研究院。

Damn, look at my Korean skills!

[OysterOmelet]

This is only an eyeball/back of the envelope, and I’m on my phone, but it seems like poor people in Taiwan make more than poor people in Korea.

Also, it seems like the words for decile in Korean and Chinese are the same (分位).

[OysterOmelet]

@Whatevah it looks like the bottom 10% in Taiwan already make more (9K individual) than the bottom 10% in Korea (6K household). Not sure how extensive the impact of a minimum wage increase would be.

[Brianjones]

Korea is a really tough country for older people . It’s intense. Older being older than 40.
Bottom part of society just has to eke out a livng.
I work with Koreans a lot and have visited often.
Enjoyed it but working there is tough, maybe tougher than Japan. Japan is tough too but they won’t neccessarily try to can you when you get older.

If you watch Korean soap operas they will allude to this quote a bit.

Also it’s not really relevant but Korea is obsessed with plastic surgery .

[Whatevah]

@Brianjones

Also it’s not really relevant but Korea is obsessed with plastic surgery .

They are obsessed with looks period. How they dress, their make up, their buildings. Taiwan is the polar opposite.

[Whatevah]

@OysterOmelet

@Whatevah it looks like the bottom 10% in Taiwan already make more (9K individual) than the bottom 10% in Korea (6K household). Not sure how extensive the impact of a minimum wage increase would be.

Interesting but doesn’t excuse the rest of it. Taiwan is richer and it’s people deserve a fair shot at getting a taste of those riches.

[Poundsand]

@OysterOmelet

@Poundsand

You cited GNI per capita. So you’re using a number applied to total population

Right, so how is per capita not an average?

He was making claims that Taiwan’s incomes were only half what they are in Korea, both average and median.

His 17K mean and 11K median whoppers for Taiwan aren’t supported in any of the links he provided.

It’s average for everyone, including those not in the work force. You think that’s the relevant metric?

[ho]

Am fascinated how cheaply Taiwanese can live. How cheaply they are willing to live. Their saving rate must be very high.

I met folks in countryside today, like 30km from Taichung city. Live at man parents in run down house. Kids are not enrolled at kindergarten, both parents earn 30 000 NTD doing unskilled labor.

Drive scooter, eat rice and vegetables from garden.

Wife said they save her whole salary. This is still like 10k euros per year. With 2 kids and doing unskilled job. Did she lie?

I don’t know statistics, but not many families can save 10k in Europe. Can they do in Korea?

What stopping this man to enroll evening classes and build up skills? Alcohol

How families live here, a man has whole day to do his thing. When I do my business, i pay nanny, cause wife can’t handle 3 kids and my mum wants enjoy her hard earned retirement and see kids every second weekend.

It’s simple math, accumulation of savings in Asia, why economics get richer faster

[Brianjones]

@ho

Live at man parents in run down house. Kids are not enrolled at kindergarten, both parents earn 30 000 NTD doing unskilled labor.

That’s because the grandparents are paying almost all the expenses and acting as free childminders. Not everybody can do that although it’s pretty common. Families here are better at 'keeping it in the family '.

Another factor though is the very small families. I know working class couples and they debate a lot about whether and how to have a second kid after the first one.

[Brianjones]

@ho

What stopping this man to enroll evening classes and build up skills?

Some people have no ambition and happy enough with how their life is. Especially if others are taking care of the expenses. Rich people do the same all the time but nobody looks down at them.