Uncertainties created by US tariff policies have forced an additional 17 employers in Taiwan to introduce furlough programs in the first half of this month, most of them in the manufacturing sector, Ministry of Labor data showed.
The number of employers with furlough plans rose to 148 as of May 15, up 17 from April 30, the data showed.
The 17 firms included 16 employers in the export-oriented manufacturing sector, the ministry said.
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times
Of the 148 firms with furlough programs, 98 were in the manufacturing sector, it said.
Over the 15-day period, the number of workers placed on formal furlough or unpaid leave programs rose to 2,664 from 2,266, it said, adding that the manufacturing sector accounted for about 85 percent of them.
Labor Conditions and Equal Employment Division specialist Hou Sung-yen (侯松延) said that firms in the metal/electric machinery industry, the information/electronics industry and the lighting industry reported decreased orders.
A small machinery maker placed more than 60 workers on furlough, a metal products supplier put more than 50 workers on unpaid leave and an optoelectronics manufacturer furloughed more than 20 workers, the ministry said.
More than 60 workers at a textile maker were also placed on unpaid leave during the period, it added.
The ministry has asked local governments to develop a better understanding of the needs of affected manufacturers, Hou said, adding that the ministry would facilitate local governments to provide all necessary assistance.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to visit the UK during her ongoing European trip, which originally included only Lithuania and Denmark, her office said today. Tsai departed Taiwan for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark, marking her second visit to the continent since her two-term presidency ended in May last year. Her office issued a statement today saying that Tsai would also visit the UK "for a few days," during which she is to meet with UK politicians and Taiwanese professionals, and visit academic and research institutions. Following Tsai's stop in Denmark, she is to visit the
RSS