Manufacturing sector sees fewer workers on furlough as demand rises

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Tuesday reported a significant decline of more than 2,000 manufacturing workers in formal unpaid leave programs over the past two weeks amid a resurgence in the manufacturing sector.

Data compiled by the MOL showed the number of workers on unpaid leave programs in Taiwan dropped from 9,764 to 7,562 between Jan. 2 and Jan. 16.

During the two-week period, 52 companies ended unpaid leave programs reported to the MOL, reducing the number of employers with workers on formal furloughs to 314, according to the MOL.

Of the 2,202 workers brought back to work full time, 2,158 work in Taiwan's export-oriented manufacturing sector, with most of them employed in the metal, electric machinery, information technology and electronics sectors, which have seen rebounds in orders.

Wang Chin-jung (王金蓉), deputy head of the MOL's Labor Conditions and Equal Employment Division, told CNA that about 800 of the employees whose furloughs were ended were in the bicycle and bicycle component, semiconductor and metal product sectors.

Another 400 were in the IT and electronics sectors, Wang said.

She said the number of workers placed on formal unpaid leave programs has been declining since reaching a peak at the end of August at 12,388.

The downward trend was most apparent this month and was expected to continue as many companies will need more workers to meet delivery deadlines ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, she said.