The number of furloughed workers amid a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert increased by more than 3,800 over the past week, bringing the total to 10,229, Ministry of Labor data showed on Thursday.
The number of furloughed workers in the lodging, and food and beverage sector rose to 2,864 from 972 on Wednesday last week, the data showed.
One-hundred-and-five additional companies in the sector furloughed workers, bringing the total to 175, it showed.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The nationwide total of employees on unpaid leave rose by 3,846 to 10,229, while an additional 362 businesses implemented furlough programs, bringing the total to 987, it showed.
The number of furloughed workers in the retail and wholesale sector rose to 1,559 from 944, the data showed.
Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) said that a level 3 COVID-19 alert has dealt a blow to those sectors.
The disease control measures also led to a fall in visits to dental and cosmetic clinics, as well as rehabilitation facilities, causing an increase in furloughed employees in the healthcare and social service sectors, Huang said.
New Taipei City, a COVID-19 hot spot, registered the largest increase in furloughed workers, up from 1,419 to 2,512, followed by Yilan County, where the numbers rose sharply from 82 to 914, Huang said, adding that travel and hospitality businesses in Yilan were hit hard by the restrictions.
The data on furloughed workers cover only unpaid leave plans that larger companies are required to report to the ministry.
However, most firms that implemented furlough programs are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Outside the COVID-19 pandemic, their programs usually lasted for less than three month and required workers to take five to eight days unpaid leave per month.
However, programs implemented in the past week often require workers to take 13 to 16 days unpaid leave per month, as many businesses in the lodging, and food and beverage sector, as well as nursing and healthcare providers, have been forced to suspend operations for as long as the level 3 alert remains in place.
The Central Epidemic Command Center on Wednesday extended the alert to July 12. It bans indoor gatherings of more than four people and outdoor gatherings of more than nine, while also mandating the closure of schools and many public venues.
Under the alert, which has been in place nationwide since May 19, members of the public are advised to stay at home if possible.
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