Taiwan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have experienced a continuous annual decline in both export value and export ratio in recent years, according to a report from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The country’s SMEs accounted for only 18.11% of Taiwan's total exports in 2003, down from 21.11% in 1999. The reason for this decline, insiders believe, is the exodus of traditional industries from the island.
SMEs nevertheless remain a pillar of the job market. Their employment has remained steady at 7.34-7.42 million over the past five years, accounting for nearly 80% of total employment. Last year the SME employment figure was 7.425 million, making up 77.56% of the total. At the same time, SMEs in Taiwan numbered 1.15 million, up 3.77% from 2002 and accounting for 97.83% of all companies on the island.
Source: Asia Intelligence Wire