Taiwan jobless rate rises to 4.02 pct in July

TAIPEI -- Taiwan's unemployment rate was 4.02 percent last month, up 0.10 percent from June, and 0.20 percent higher year on year, according to Taiwan's statistics agency on Monday.

There were around 472,000 unemployed people in Taiwan at the end of July and 11.275 million employed, a statement on the agency's website said. New university graduates' entry into the labor market in July were cited as having an affect on the figures.

The seasonally-adjusted rate of unemployment for the month was 3.96 percent, flat with June, the agency added.

The data also showed the island's consumer price index (CPI), a main gauge of inflation, registering a 0.22 percent monthly increase in July. The CPI was 1.23 percent higher year on year.