Taiwan's jobless claims hit record: government

The number of monthly unemployment benefit claims in Taiwan hit a record 100,000 in February, as the local economy deteriorates in the face of the world financial crisis, officials said Monday. The February jobless claims totalled two billion Taiwan dollars (57 million US), marking the highest level since the government launched this particular scheme in 1999, the Bureau of Labour Insurance said.
The more than 100,000 applications for benefits received by the bureau last month was also a record high, it added. In January, Taiwan's unemployment rate rose to a six-year high of 5.31 percent largely due to business downsizing and closures.