Number of workers on furlough drops in first half of month

Staff writer, with CNA

The number of workers forced to take unpaid leave in the first half of this month decreased from the second half of last month, government statistics released yesterday showed.

Ministry of Labor statistics showed that there were 402 workers on furlough as of Friday last week, down from 658 as of the end of last month.

According to the data, 21 employers had put some of their employees on furlough programs in the first half of this month, down from 26 at the end of last month.

From July 1 to Friday last week, eight employers terminated their unpaid leave programs, but three more imposed mandatory furloughs on employees.

The government releases data on furloughs twice each month to give updates about the local labor market situation, particularly in light of declining exports amid weak global demand.

The ministry said enterprises that impose unpaid leave mostly have less than 50 employees and are mostly in the metal, machinery and electrical sectors.

The period of unpaid leave can be no more than three months, while the number of days are usually four to eight days permonth, the ministry’s data show.