Focus Taiwan
Date: 11/24/2020
By: Flor Wang and Wu Hsin-yun

Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) The number of furloughed workers across Taiwan has dropped for the third week in a row, to the lowest level since late June, the Ministry of Labor reported on Tuesday.

According to the latest statistics released on Friday, 486 firms had 10,934 employees on unpaid leave as of that day, down 383 from a week ago, the first time the number has fallen for three consecutive weeks since the peak period in late June due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of workers on temporary leave peaked in late June, when the figures started to fall as the pandemic showed initial signs of easing around the world, the ministry's Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment Deputy Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) said.

This is the first time the number of furloughed workers has fallen for three straight weeks since the middle of the year, Huang explained.    [FULL  STORY]