Flawed policy on boosting birthratesBy Chen Ching-yun 陳清雲On Sunday, the Taipei City Government’s pilot program to subsidize reduced working hours for parents opened for applications. Low birthrates are part of a long-term crisis of population structure and national development, meaning that, if the policy cannot be scaled, it is unlikely to make much of a difference. A promising option would be to integrate the policy into a broader system of flexible working hours. By pairing reduced and flexible working hours, rewards can be reaped for both caregivers and wider city operations. Low birthrates are not a regional issue, but a national crisis of an aging population and a shrinking labor force.

Source: Taipei Times March 05, 2026 18:10 UTC