Furloughed worker numbers in Taiwan fall to 4-month low

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) The number of workers in formal furlough programs in Taiwan fell to its lowest level in four months as both the manufacturing and service sectors saw companies bring their employees back to work, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL).

The number of workers in unpaid leave programs reported to the MOL as of Dec. 15 fell 822 from the end of November to 4,474, the lowest level since the end of August, when it was 4,459, data released by the ministry showed Monday.

The number of employers that carried out furlough programs also fell 41 to 257 as of Dec. 15, the data showed.

Speaking with CNA, MOL Labor Conditions and Employment Equality specialist Li Yi-hsuan (李怡萱) said a machine tool maker brought its 120 employees back to work full-time in the first half of this month after seeing its orders increase.

The number of furloughed workers in Taiwan's manufacturing sector fell to 3,596 as of Dec. 15 from 4,091 seen on Nov. 30, according to the MOL.

In the service sector, a drug and cosmetics supplier ended its unpaid leave program by bringing about 50 employees back to work, Li said.

The adverse impact of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Hualien County and subsequent typhoons on the area's tourism-dependent economy seems to be subsiding, also bringing furloughed worker numbers down, Li said.

A total of 21 employers in the county ended their unpaid leave programs in the first half of December, lowering the number of workers on unpaid leave programs in Hualien to 617 as of Dec. 15, down from 814 previously.

Li said the Lunar New Year holiday in late January will likely further stimulate Hualien's tourism sector and increase the demand for workers, but it remained unclear if it will provide a temporary boost or pave the way for a longer-term recovery.

The MOL updates its furloughed worker data on the 1st and 16th of every month and reports on the number of employees placed on furloughs registered by companies with the ministry.

Most of the enterprises implementing furlough programs are small companies that employ fewer than 50 people.

Unpaid leave programs typically last for less than three months, with employees taking five to eight days of unpaid leave per month, according to the MOL.