TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of furloughed workers increased this month as Taiwan’s manufacturing sector experienced dropping demand, reported the Ministry of Labor.
By mid-September, the number of furloughed workers rose from 4,459 to 4,765, up 306 since the start of the month, per CNA. The rise came after two companies in the metal and electric machinery industry and one company in the chemical industry faced declining orders and cut back on employees.
The number of employers who implemented furloughed or unpaid leave programs rose by one to 276 in the first half of September. The labor ministry said it will continue to assist employers and employees through subsidies and incentives amid the economic slowdown.
The ministry began publishing data on furloughed workers in April 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic led to lower demand. In August 2021, 58,000 workers were reportedly on furloughed programs.
In July, the ministry announced Taiwan’s furloughed workers hit a 3-year low as “manufacturers saw orders from foreign clients growing at a time of a global economic recovery." Data showed the number of workers on government-subsidized unpaid leave programs fell from 4,685 to 3,861, down 824.
The labor ministry releases data on furloughed workers on the 1st and 16th of each month. Companies and furloughed workers using government-funding subsidies on unpaid leave programs typically use it for less than three months.
