As many as 268 public institutions are implementing reduced working hours, affecting 4,617 employees, according to the Labor Ministry’s report released this Friday. The number of institutions implementing reduced working hours has increased by 20%, affecting 180 more employees than the last period.
The manufacturing industry as a whole has been hit the hardest, with bicycle manufacturers among the most affected. A decrease in orders has resulted in around 100 people being put on unpaid leave.
Last October over 1,000 employees in the bicycle manufacturing industry were given reduced working hours, with some being put on unpaid leave. Rumors that the industry will implement unpaid leave again this year have employees worried about a repeat of last year, which caused an income crisis for some employees that continued up until May 2024.
Labor Conditions and Equal Employment Division Deputy Head Wang Chin-jung (王金蓉) says that only two or three companies were affected last year, and predicts that this year’s development depends on each individual business.