HELP NOT WANTED: September was the third-worst month this year for employee layoffs, although most of the 1,500 laid-off workers came from two companies

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 03, 2019
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

Massive layoffs made by enterprises in Taiwan surpassed 1,500 in September at a time of slow economic growth and weakening global demand caused by trade disputes between the US and China, according to the Ministry of Labor.

In the first nine months of this year, the number of massive layoffs reached 11,477, up 19.7 percent from the same period last year, data compiled by the ministry showed.

In September, the number of laid-off workers reported by companies hit 1,528, up from 973 in August. The September figure was the third-highest this year after May’s 2,884 and January’s 1,630, the data showed.

In May, financially troubled flat- panel maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes laid off 2,884 workers due to business closures. In January, solar cell maker Motech Industries Inc, which suffered a global supply glut, also announced a mass redundancy.    [FULL  STORY]