I The SMEs basic statistical information 1 The Management Survey of SMEs In 2004, the major indicators for SME all displayed positive growth compared to 2003. The number of SMEs in Taiwan increased by 1.54%, and total sales, domestic sales and export sales increased by 7.41%, 7.41% and 7.42%, respectively.
The key statistical data for Taiwanese SMEs in 2004 were as follows: Number of Enterprises:
(1) This total included 1,164,000 SMEs, representing an increase of 18,000 enterprises, or 1.54%. As a percentage of all enterprises, 97.80% in 2004.
(2) 42% of SMEs have been in existence for over 10 years; 9.30% have been in existence for less than one year.
(3) 59.20% of SMEs are sole proprietorships.
(4) The wholesale and retail sector has seen the largest increase in the number of SMEs; this sector accounts for the largest share of Taiwanese SMEs, at 53.22%.
(5) Northern Taiwan has the largest concentration of SMEs, with 46.63% of all SMEs in Taiwan being located in the north.
In sales aspect:
(1) Domestic sales accounted for 84.75% of Taiwanese SMEs’ total sales in 2004, while export sales held a 15.25% share; there was thus a 69.5 percentage point disparity between the two;
(2) Manufacturing industry and the wholesale and retail sector accounted for almost the whole of Taiwanese SMEs’ exports; the shares of total exports held by these two sectors were 65.67% and 29.29%, respectively.
2 The Current Status of SMEs Labor Force and Training In 2004, 7,553,000 employed persons were working in SMEs; increased 1.72% compared to 2003; they accounted for 77.18% of all employed persons in Taiwan; Employees were mainly concentrated in the 25–55 age group; Men accounted for a larger share of SME employees, and those educated concentration in the senior vocational school. The total number of hired employees working for SMEs employers in 2004 was 4,903,000, representing a 3.13% increase compared to 2003. as 68.75% of all hired employees in Taiwan. In 2004, Among w