本文嘗試從勞動體制的層面來解釋臺灣為何陷入一個低薪的環境。以往文獻的特色是多從國家、資本家或勞工角色切入分析，或純粹以國際環境、國內經濟發展情勢作為分析基礎。這些都能解釋在單一的歷史階段中的臺灣勞工低薪的問題，但難以解釋「為何低薪問題數十年如一日」。與舊文獻所提供的微觀觀點不同，本文試圖採用宏觀的、歷史的觀點來回答上述問題。本文透過歷史制度主義的路徑依賴概念，觀察自1980年代到2010年代為止，臺灣勞動政策雖然不斷改變，但仍對勞方形成不利的環境。透過對不同時期社會環境的描繪，觀察國家、勞、資三方如何順著既有的勞動體制和法規進行互動。最後，我們發現在勞動法令的修正，以及相關行動者的的互動中，臺灣的勞動體制形成一種制度上的路徑依賴，它不只影響下一個時代的社會環境，並侷限了行動者的行為選項。本文認為，臺灣如影隨形的低薪問題，係源自於既有的勞動體制剝削勞工的路徑而產生的結果。

This article tries to explain why Taiwan's labor regime has fallen into a low wage environment. A review of literature shows that existing studies consider only the elements of state, capital, labor, or the social environment to explain the low wage within different historical stages. But the literature to date could not answer the question as for why Taiwan's labor wage did not increase with economic growth after 2000s. In order to bridge the gap, the legislation and amendment of related labor laws from 1980s to 2010s was explored through the perspective of historical institutionalism. It was found that the labor regime in Taiwan limited the reform idea of state, labor and capital, and produced the phenomena of path dependence.