The number of workers in formal furlough programs slid 3.6 percent in the second half of last month as a glass manufacturer said it was ending its unpaid leave program, the Ministry of Labor said yesterday.
As of Saturday, the number of workers placed on unpaid leave programs had fallen by 195 to 5,296 from 5,491 as of Nov. 15, the ministry said.
The fall in furloughed workers came as a glass maker brought about 400 employees back to work because of an increase in orders, Labor Conditions and Employment Equality specialist Li Yi-hsuan (李怡萱) said.
Photo: CNA
The company has no plans to reinstate its unpaid leave program any time soon, Li added.
Overall, the export-oriented manufacturing sector still had the most furloughed workers among major sectors as non-tech firms struggled in the face of weak global demand, with the number of furloughed workers in this sector standing at 4,091 as of Saturday, accounting for more than 77 percent of the total, the ministry said.
The service sector remained relatively stable, with the number of furloughed workers in the retail and wholesale segments standing at 441 as of Saturday, and that in the hotel and food/beverage segments at 501, while the number of furloughed workers in the support service industry, which mainly consists of travel agencies, was 64, it said.
The increase in the hotel and food/beverage sectors largely reflected the sustained impact of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in early April and subsequent typhoons in Hualien County on its tourism sector, Li said.
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