Focus Taiwan
Date: 07/24/2020
By: Wu Hsin-yun and Ko Lin

Taipei, July 24 (CNA) The number of furloughed workers in Taiwan rose over the past week as activity in the manufacturing sector slowed amid uneven overseas demand for Taiwan's exports due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Labor (MOL).

As of Friday, 1,049 companies had unpaid leave programs, while a total of 25,208 workers had agreed to go on furlough, up 1,601 from a week earlier, data compiled by the MOL showed.

Among the companies that carried out the furlough programs, 353 were manufacturers, 332 were retailers or wholesalers, and 71 were in the service sector, the data showed.

Manufacturers also accounted for two-thirds of the companies that began furlough programs in the week from July 16 to July 24.    [FULL  STORY]