Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor is reporting the biggest weekly drop in the number of people on unpaid leave since the pandemic began. The total dipped below 20,000 for the first time since early May.
The labor ministry says that right now, 734 businesses across Taiwan have 19,458 employees on unpaid leave. That’s a one-week decrease of nearly 400 businesses with workers on furlough, and about 7,600 workers back at work.
The Ministry of Labor explained the decrease in furloughed workers, saying that Taiwan’s industries are coming back online. The metal and mechanical industries, in particular, saw 2,000 people head back to work. The manufacturing industries, on the other hand, reported that another 1,200 workers were back on the job.
The labor ministry says that furlough rates in the wholesale, retail, transport, storage, and hospitality industries did not fluctuate as much. It said that’s because they recovered earlier due to government stimulus measures.
The Ministry of Labor says that most businesses with furlough policies in place have fewer than 50 workers on unpaid leave. It said furlough periods in those companies are usually shorter than three months.