Over the last 20 years, under the pressures of changing industrial structure, globalized competition, and the dysfunctional and disintegrating family, the gap between rich and poor has gradually widened in countries around the world. The poor have gotten poorer, the rich richer. Taiwan is no exception. From the cities down to the village level, many people are capable of working, yet they lack employment opportunities.
近 20 年來，在產業結構變遷、全球化競爭、家庭失能與解體等多重壓力下，世界各國貧富差距逐漸擴大，貧者愈貧、富者愈富，台灣自不免於外，從都市到農村，許多人雖然具備工作能力，但卻苦無工作機會，他們被稱為「新窮人」。