Ministry of Labor statistics published on Thursday show a sharp rise in the number of people taking unpaid leave due to COVID-19. The ministry’s fortnightly report comes a day after the government extended a countrywide soft lockdown to stop the spread of the virus.
A Level 3 alert, the second highest level possible, is currently in place across Taiwan, in response to an outbreak of COVID-19 that began in early May. While many workplaces remain open, the country’s hospitality industry has suffered as people travel less and go out less for food.
According to Thursday’s report, 987 businesses countrywide have instituted shorter working hours in the face of the drop in business. That’s a rise of 364 from figures published two weeks ago. The rise in unpaid leave has affected 10,229 people, an increase of 3,846 from mid-June.
The hospitality industry is responsible for a large part of the rise, as are wholesale markets.
Labor ministry official Huang Wei-chen says the Level 3 alert is designed to prevent people from spreading the virus by traveling. That’s why he says it’s no surprise the hospitality industry has been hit hard.