TAIPEI Vice President Annette Lu revealed Sunday how she had considered killing herself while in jail as a political prisoner as she spoke out over the growing number of suicides in Taiwan.

"One has to live on to serve society despite hundreds or even thousands of excuses for suicide," she told a press conference.

Lu, who was jailed by the former Kuomintang government as a political dissident, admitted that she had thought about killing herself on three occasions.

But if I had done so, I would not be able to stand here talking to you today," she said.

Her voiced her concern as more reports of suicides were splashed over local newspapers.

In Taipei alone, there were four reports of suicide overnight.

In one case, a 77-year-old woman, Lin Miao, died after she was admitted to hospital for emergency treatment after drinking pesticide.

In another, jobless man Hung Chung, 41, was found dead after jumping from a building.

Official reports showed Friday that Taiwan's unemployment climbed to 3.35 percent in January, the highest monthly rate since November 1985, on the back of an economic slowdown and upgrading and restructuring of local industry.

A total of 2,281 people committed suicide in Taiwan last year, according to the Department of Health, according to AFP.