Taiwanese voted the Chinese character "mang", or confusion, to be the most representative character of 2017 for the island, showing many may feel at a loss this year.

The character drew 12,445 out of a total of 90,990 votes to stand out among the 52 Chinese characters on the shortlist, according to a survey released Thursday by the United Daily News and the CTBC Foundation for Arts and Culture.

The top choice indicates that Taiwanese feel at a loss about their future, said Feng Chi-tai, chairperson of the foundation.

Taiwanese have experienced several major events this year which have impacted their lives, such as revisions of work rules and a massive power outage, which left them feeling baffled, according to chief editor of the United Daily News.

Revisions of work rules have made headlines in the past few months, drawing complaints due to possible longer working hours and worries over slower wage increases.

The majority of the top ten characters expressed negative feelings such as worry, stagnation, and mess, pointing to pervasive disappointment, according to the survey.

About one third of Taiwan's working population still earn less than 30,000 new Taiwan dollars (999.6 U.S. dollars) per month, according to an official survey released last week. 

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