The number of workers on unpaid leave in Taiwan increased in one week, as the transportation and tourism sectors continued to suffer as a result of the country’s strict border controls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Wednesday.
According to MOL data, the total number of workers on registered furlough programs was 14,129 as of Feb. 15, an increase of 1,470 from a week earlier.
Meanwhile, the number of companies implementing furlough programs also increased, rising by 207 from a week earlier to 2,226, the data showed.
Wang Chin-jung (???), deputy head of the MOL’s Labor Conditions and Equal Employment Division, said the transportation, warehousing, dining and hospitality sectors were among the hardest-hit, due to Taiwan’s strict border controls, under which foreign tourists are not allowed entry.
Wang cited the example of an airline company, which had 300 workers on furlough as of Feb. 15.
On the other hand, Wang said, the MOL’s most recent statistics show that the COVID-19 pandemic has had relatively limited impact on businesses that are dependent mainly on the domestic consumer market.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel