Furloughed workers in Taiwan rise as manufacturers' orders decline

Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) The number of workers in Taiwan on furlough programs increased slightly in the first half of September, largely due to the local manufacturing sector experiencing declining demand, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL).

Data released by the MOL on Monday showed that the number of furloughed workers in Taiwan rose to 4,765 as of mid-September, up 306 from 4,459 reported on Sept. 2, while the number of employers who implemented unpaid leave programs also rose by one to 276 in the first half of the month.

Speaking with CNA, Li Yi-hsuan (李怡萱), a specialist with the MOL's Labor Conditions and Employment Equality, said the higher employer numbers in the latest data were mostly due to a couple of companies in the manufacturing sector reporting unpaid leave programs as they saw a fall in orders.

The increase largely came after two employers in the metal and electric machinery industry and one company in the chemical industry put more employees on unpaid leave, Li added.

In addition, traffic disruption caused by a heavy rainstorm-triggered mudslides in Hualien in eastern Taiwan earlier this month also dealt a big blow to the county's tourism industry, according to Li.

The number of furloughed workers in the county rose by 87 from the past two weeks to 666 as of mid-September, with the number of employers having unpaid leave programs in place up by 11, reaching 68, Li said citing the MOL data.

The increase in furloughed workers was mainly from travel and tourism-related industries, including the lodging and food/beverage as well as the sport and recreational industries, according to Li.