Taiwan's nominal unemployment rate rose marginally in July but the seasonally adjusted rate fell to its lowest level in 19 months, according to figures released by the country's statistics bureau Monday. Unemployment rose to 5.20 percent in July, an increase of 0.04 percentage points from the previous month, as a new batch of graduates and summer interns entered the job market, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said Monday. The seasonally adjusted jobless rate, however, fell for the 11th consecutive month to 5.17 percent, down 0.03 percentage points from June. It was the lowest since the 5.07 percent rate recorded in December 2008, just as the global economic meltdown began undercutting employment. In July, the number of first-time unemployed job seekers rose 15,000 from June, and the number of those who became jobless after quiting their jobs to seek better opportunities was up 6,000, the DGBAS said. 'The impact of new graduates is going to last until August. The jobless rate is expected to fall from September and drop below 5 percent by the end of this year, ' said Liu Tian-syh, deputy director of the DGBAS' fourth division. The number of those who lost jobs due to business closures or downsizing fell 14,000 last month from June, while the number of those released from temporary jobs decreased by 2,000, the agency said, signs of the improving economy. The DGBAS said on Aug. 19 that Taiwan's economy grew at a 12.53 percent pace in the second quarter and raised its forecast for 2010 growth to 8.24 percent, up from May's forecast of 6.14 percent. Exports grew 46.2 percent in the quarter, the fastest among its Asian peers. In the first seven months of this year, Taiwan's jobless rate averaged 5.43 percent, down 0.35 percentage points from a year earlier. In July, the number of eligible workers with jobs totaled 10.53 million, 0.52 percent more than in June and 2.72 percent more than in July 2009. Reducing the unemployment rate has been a pressing issue for the government. Taiwan's second-quarter jobless rate of 5.2 percent was the highest among the four Asian Tigers (also comprised of Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea.) Premier Wu Den-yih has vowed to step down if his administration fails to bring the unemployment rate below 5 percent by the end of this year. 