The number of workers in Taiwan on furlough programmes has increased, largely due to the local exports-oriented manufacturing sector experiencing declining demand which prompted firms to take advantage of unpaid leave programmes, the Ministry of Labor stated.
The number of furloughed workers in the manufacturing sector rose to 8,924 as of Dec 23, 2023 (Saturday), up from 8,609 on Dec 15, while the number of employers in the manufacturing industry that implemented furlough programs rose to 218 from 20, data compiled by the ministry showed.
As a result, the overall number of furloughed workers in Taiwan rose to 9,935 as of Saturday, up 359 from 9,576 as of Dec 15, with the number of companies implementing furlough programs rising by 14 to 382, the data showed.
Lee Yi-hsuan, a specialist with the ministry’s Labour Conditions and Equal Employment Division, said a semiconductor component supplier in the Hsinchu Science Park, which employs more than 600 people, had put about 50 workers on furlough.
The ministry and the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau would continue to keep a close eye on the situation at a time of weak global demand, she said.
A sports equipment maker also reported that 170 workers had been placed on unpaid leave, but she added that the furlough programme would only last one month, following short-term order changes.
In the metal and electric machine sector, a machinery maker implemented a furlough, putting about 60 workers on unpaid leave, and a rubber and plastics maker in the chemical sector also put about 50 workers on furlough, she said.
On the other hand, a bicycle component maker received a large number of orders and decided to end its furlough programmes ahead of schedule, meaning about 60 people returned to work, she said.
The service sector remained resilient following solid domestic spending in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, she said.
The number of furloughed workers in the transportation and warehousing industry, and the lodging and food and beverage industry remained unchanged, at two each, as of Saturday, while the number fell to 41 from 58 a week earlier in the support service industry, partially comprised of travel agencies, ministry data showed.
In addition, the number of workers on unpaid leave in the wholesale and retail sector increased to 860 as of Saturday, up from 801 the previous week, the data showed. – Taiwan News
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