The online job bank said that some 70 percent of the job applicants are really in a jobless condition, and the remaining 30 percent are now employed but want to seek better jobs or find extra part-time jobs.

Chiu Wen-jen, the marketing director of the 104 Job Bank, said there are only some 230,000 job vacancies available in August, around half the number of applicants.

Accordingly, Chiu suggested that those who are already employed should cherish their current jobs, and those who remain jobless had better seek part-time jobs first to accumulate working experience and then find better jobs.

Statistics compiled by the 104 Job Bank indicated that up to 24.2 percent of the job vacancies are for sales representatives, 11 percent for banking personnel, 10.7 percent for R & D engineers, 8.2 percent for customer services, 7.3 percent for marketing.

In terms of industries, 8.6 percent of the job vacancies are offered by the insurance sector, 7.3 percent by the computer and consumer electronics sector, 6.8 percent by software and online networks, 6.2 percent by the semiconductor sector, and 5.1 percent by the retail sector, etc.

Meanwhile, government tallies also showed that the island's jobless rate broke the 4 percent level for the first time this year to reach 4.04 percent in July, and the unemployment rate for university graduates reached a much higher level of 5.03 percent in the month.

During the first seven months of the year, Taiwan's overall jobless rate reached 4.51 percent, for the highest level of its kind in 30 years.

Wu Jui-ying, operations director of the 1111 Job Bank, said the current manpower market situation has clearly demonstrated that the value of having a university diploma has dropped.

As a result, Wu said, some university graduates even noted that they can accept unpaid probations as long as they can get a job opportunity.

In fact, quite a few small- and medium-sized enterprises are mulling freezing any personnel increases to survive the worsening operating climate caused by the spiraling material prices.

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