Falling demand in Europe and Japan weakened the overall growth even as demand from China remained strong. |
Growth in Taiwan's export orders may slow a bit in the first half, as the demand for electronics has fallen from its peak of the rebound cycle. |
High global commodity prices should have helped to underpin the import value of raw materials, but imports of capital goods probably remained subdued. |
Taiwan's labor market is healthy and static. The unemployment rate is expected to remain around this level for the remainder of this year. |