When One Salary Isn’t Enough: An English Lesson on Taiwan’s Slash Generation

When a master’s degree only covers a Taipei studio apartment’s rent, something is wrong.

That is the real feeling behind Taiwan’s slash generation. Not freedom. Not trendy personal branding. For many people, it is simple math. One salary does not cover rent, food, transport, and debt. So they add another job. Then another one.

If you want better 英文口說練習, this is the kind of topic worth practicing. It is real. It affects work, money, stress, and identity. And if someone asks, “What do you think about side hustles in Taiwan?” you need more than one-word answers.

The Context: The Scissors Gap Is Real

Taiwan’s economy can look strong from the outside. GDP numbers sound positive. Some industries are doing very well.

But many workers do not feel that growth in daily life.

Here is the gap:

• Median monthly wage: NT$38,319
• Average Taipei studio rent: NT$14,400
• A graduate earning NT$34,000 may spend 42% of income on rent alone
• Taipei’s price-to-income ratio is 16.36x
• That is higher than London, New York, and Toronto
• From 2012 to 2023, wages grew only 14%
• In the same period, housing prices surged 77%
• 69.77% of salaried employees earn below-average wages

This is the structural problem.

People sometimes call it a “trend,” but that word is too soft. This is a scissors gap. Living costs keep rising. Wages move slowly. The space between them gets wider.

That is why side hustles are growing:

• 145,000 food delivery workers, up from 45,000 in 2019
• 39% of salaried workers have a side hustle
• 57% of Gen Z have side hustles
• 48% of Millennials do too
• 93.2% say they are willing to become a slash person

If you want related practice, you can also read Taiwan’s AI Boom and English speaking practice.

The Framework: Use O.R.E.O. to Talk About Economic Trends

When the topic is serious, many English learners freeze. You may know the ideas in Chinese, but still get stuck in English.

Use O.R.E.O.:

1. Opinion — Say your main view.
2. Reason — Explain why.
3. Example — Give a real case or number.
4. Opinion — Restate your point clearly.

This works especially well for 職場英文會話 because it helps you sound organized, even when the topic is difficult.

Example

• Opinion: “I don’t think Taiwan’s slash economy should be celebrated.”
• Reason: “In many cases, people take extra jobs because one salary is not enough.”
• Example: “For example, rent in Taipei can take more than 40% of a young worker’s income.”
• Opinion: “So in my opinion, this is a structural problem, not just a lifestyle choice.”

Goal: Don’t try to sound perfect. Try to sound clear.

If you want another framework for expressing personal ideas, this lesson also pairs well with Why I Use Conversation Frameworks, Not Textbooks.

Guided Practice: 3 Prompts With Model Answers

Try these out loud. Keep your answer short first. Then add one reason and one example.

1. Do you think having a side hustle is a good thing?

Model answer:

“I think it depends. Having a side hustle can give you extra security, but many people are doing it because their main salary is not enough. So I don’t see it as a positive trend by default.”

2. Why are so many young workers becoming slash workers in Taiwan?

Model answer:

“I think the main reason is the gap between wages and living costs. Salaries have not grown fast enough, but rent and housing prices have increased a lot. That pushes people to find multiple income streams.”

3. What problems come with moonlighting?

Model answer:

“One problem is exhaustion. Another issue is legal and financial risk. Some companies have hidden non-compete clauses, and side hustle workers may not have labor insurance if they get hurt.”

Case Study: Mia and the Three-Income Reality

Let’s look at Mia.

Mia is 28. She has an English degree. Her full-time job is social media editing. She earns NT$33,000 a month.

That sounds manageable until you look closer.

After 6 pm, she does Uber Eats deliveries until 10 pm. On weekends, she takes translation jobs. With three income streams combined, she earns about NT$52,000 a month.

Now subtract the basics:

• Rent: NT$13,500 for an 8-ping studio in Songshan
• Scooter fuel
• Food
• Student loans

After all that, she saves less than NT$8,000 a month.

This is why the slash economy matters. Mia is not “maximizing her potential.” She is trying to stay afloat.

Here is how Mia might answer a question using O.R.E.O.:

• Opinion: “I think many young workers in Taiwan do not choose slash work freely.”
• Reason: “The cost of living is too high compared with entry-level salaries.”
• Example: “In my case, I have three income streams, but I still save less than NT$8,000 a month.”
• Opinion: “That’s why I think the real issue is structural, not personal.”

You can also talk about common side hustle types in simple English:

• Delivery work — easy entry, flexible hours
• Freelance design or engineering — UI projects can pay NT$15,000 to NT$30,000
• Online teaching — through platforms like Hahow or PressPlay
• Self-media — YouTube, Instagram, personal content channels
• Reselling or e-commerce — 代購, Shopee stores, product flipping

The Gray Zone: More Work, Less Protection

This is where the conversation gets more serious.

Taiwan’s labor laws do not clearly ban moonlighting in general. But reality is messy.

Some problems include:

• Hidden non-compete clauses in company contracts
• No clear labor insurance for side hustle accidents
• Complicated tax reporting
• Long hours with very little recovery time

So when people say, “Just get a side hustle,” they often ignore the risk.

A side hustle can be useful. But it is not a real safety net if the system around it is weak.

What to Practice Next

If this topic feels heavy, that’s okay. Real English conversations are often heavy. Work stress is real. Money stress is real. Your job in English is not to fix the economy. It is to talk about it clearly.

Start here:

• Learn 1 framework
• Practice 3 opinion answers
• Reuse 5 to 10 key terms
• Speak in short, direct sentences
• Add numbers when possible

That is how you build confidence step by step.

Key Vocabulary Glossary

Term	Meaning	Example Sentence	中文說明
slash generation	A group of people who manage multiple jobs or roles at the same time.	Many people in the slash generation cannot rely on one salary alone.	指「斜槓世代」，不是單純興趣很多，而是同時做多份工作來撐生活。
median wage	The middle wage in a group, where half earn more and half earn less.	Taiwan’s median wage shows how limited many salaries still are.	就是「薪資中位數」，比平均數更能看出一般人實際賺多少。
price-to-income ratio	A measure comparing housing prices with income levels.	Taipei’s price-to-income ratio is extremely high.	房價所得比。數字越高，代表買房壓力越大。
moonlighting	Doing extra paid work outside your main job.	Some employees worry that moonlighting could create problems with their company.	指下班後再接副業、兼差。這個字很常用在正式一點的工作討論。
gig economy	A system where people do short-term or flexible jobs instead of stable long-term work.	Food delivery is a common part of the gig economy.	零工經濟。像外送、接案這種短期或彈性工作都算。
safety net	Support that protects you from serious financial trouble.	A second income can feel like a safety net, but it is not always stable.	安全網。意思是遇到失業或突發狀況時，有東西能保護你。
structural	Related to a system, not just one person’s choices.	This is a structural problem, not an individual failure.	結構性的。意思是問題出在整個制度，不是某個人不夠努力。
stagnant	Not growing or improving.	Many workers feel their wages have stayed stagnant for years.	停滯的。常用來形容薪水很久沒什麼成長。
non-compete clause	A contract rule that limits outside work or work for competitors.	He checked his contract for a non-compete clause before freelancing.	競業條款。簽約前一定要看，因為可能會限制你接副業。
hustle	Extra effort to make money or create opportunities.	Her weekend hustle helps cover her monthly expenses.	hustle 在這裡不是勵志口號，比較像拼命多做一些事來賺錢。
income stream	A source of money coming in regularly.	Mia has three income streams, but she still struggles to save.	收入來源。你可以用這個字來表達「不只一份錢進來」。
burnout	Extreme mental or physical tiredness caused by too much work.	Working every night can quickly lead to burnout.	職業倦怠、過勞感。當你一直工作、沒有休息，就很容易用到這個字。

If you want to practice this kind of real-world English in a supportive way, I can help. We can work on opinions, follow-up questions, and clearer answers for work and daily life. You can book a one-on-one lesson at IMCEnglish.com. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to pay.