The number of workers on unpaid leave in the first half of this month rose by 24 from the end of last month, Ministry of Labor data released on Friday showed.
As of Thursday, the number of workers who had agreed to take unpaid leave totaled 174, up from 150 at the end of last month, the ministry said.
In the first half of this month, eight employers had implemented unpaid leave programs after reaching a consensus with their employees, up from six at the end of last month, the ministry said.
In the 15-day period, one company terminated its unpaid leave program, while three launched furlough programs, it added.
The central government releases data on unpaid leave twice per month to provide an update on conditions in the local labor market.
Most of the companies with employees on unpaid leave were small enterprises with workforces of fewer than 50 employees as of Thursday, the ministry said, adding that all eight employers that implemented furlough programs reached an agreement with the affected workers for up to four days of unpaid leave for no less than three months.
The ministry provided no details about the reason for the increase in the number of furloughed workers and firms implementing unpaid leave programs, while market analysts said that the increase was simply a minor one at a time when the local economy is on the road to recovery.
The jobless rate in April fell to 3.67 percent, the lowest level since May 2015, when the jobless rate was 3.62 percent, government statistics showed.
The government has implemented a NT$20 billion (US$658.3 million) program to reduce the financial effects of furloughs on workers, offering them training to upgrade their job skills, the ministry said.
Under the program, trainees receive a stipend of NT$133 per hour to help meet their living expenses up to a maximum of 100 hours per month, it said.
Employees also have the option of taking online training courses that are available on the Web site of the ministry’s Skill Evaluation Center, it added.
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