The Labor Ministry released its twice-a-month furlough data on Monday, announcing that there are 9,576 workers currently taking mandatory leave without pay. According to the ministry, the majority of the furloughed employees work in the manufacturing industry.
Labor Standards and Equal Employment Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) says the main reason for furloughing workers is the instability of orders. He adds that the number has steadily improved since August when more than 120,000 workers were put on unpaid leave.
Huang says that he remains cautiously optimistic about the jobs market, pointing out that it takes time for forecasts to strengthen.