The number of workers on official furlough programs in Taiwan showed signs of falling in the first week of July as the summer vacation arrived, sparking interest among consumers in traveling around the country, which enabled some travel agencies and entertainment and leisure business operators to end their unpaid leave programs, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL).
Data compiled by the MOL showed that the number of workers on unpaid leave from July 1-7 fell to 18,081, down 4,098 from 22,179 in the previous report released on July 1. The earlier figure was the highest number of furloughed workers for the year, largely because of fears over a spike in domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases.
The number of companies with furlough programs in place also fell by 548 from a week earlier to 2,479, the data showed.
Huang Wei-chen (???), director of the MOL’s Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, told CNA that with the school year coming to an end and the summer vacation starting, the local tourism business recovered to some extent as parents looked to take their children on holiday.
In addition, with signs that the growth in indigenous COVID-19 infections is moderating, more and more consumers are willing to go out and spend, Huang said.
As a result, the fall in the number of furloughed worker in the week largely came from travel agencies and entertainment and leisure service providers, Huang added.
As of July 7, the number of furloughed workers in the support service industry, which is comprised of travel agencies fell from 9,420 a week earlier to 7,662, while the number of employers with unpaid leave programs also fell from 1,548 to 1,310, the MOL said.
A large-sized travel agency chain announced an end to its furlough program by bringing about 300 employees back to work this week, Huang said.
In the week, the number of workers taking unpaid leave in the entertainment and leisure business dropped by more than 300 or 75 percent from about 400 a week earlier, Huang said.
The MOL said the lodging and food/beverage industry also benefited from summer vacation effects, with the number of furloughed workers dropping from 6,547 to 5,483 in a week.
In addition, the number of furloughed workers in the transportation and warehousing industry fell from 1,313 to 1,263 in the week, while the number in the retail/wholesale industry dropped from 1,661 to 1,294 due to higher consumption, the data showed.
The MOL updates its furloughed worker data on the 1st, 8th, 16th, and 24th of every month, reporting unpaid leave numbers for companies that have registered their furlough programs with the ministry.
Most of the enterprises implementing furlough programs are small firms 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.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel