The number of workers in Taiwan on furlough programs increased slightly in the first half of this month, largely due to a decline in the local manufacturing sector, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said yesterday.
The ministry said the number of furloughed workers rose to 4,765 as of the middle of this month, up 306 from 4,459 reported on Sept. 2, while the number of employers who implemented unpaid leave programs also rose by one to 276 in the first half of the month.
The higher employer numbers were mostly due to companies in the manufacturing sector reporting unpaid leave programs as they saw a fall in orders, Labor Conditions and Employment Equality specialist Li Yi-hsuan (李怡萱) said.
Photo courtesy of the Workforce Development Agency
The increase largely came after two employers in the metal and electric machinery industry, and one company in the chemical industry put more employees on unpaid leave, Li said.
In addition, traffic disruption caused by a heavy rainstorm triggered mudslides in Hualien County earlier this month, dealing a big blow to the county’s tourism industry, she added.
The number of furloughed workers in the county rose by 87 from the past two weeks to 666 as of the middle of the month, with the number of employers having unpaid leave programs up by 11, reaching 68, Li said.
The increase in furloughed workers was mainly from travel and tourism-related industries, including the lodging, food, beverage, sports and recreational industries, she said.
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