Taipei: The number of workers on unpaid leave in Taiwan decreased for the first time in the second half of 2025 by 212 people, data released by the Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Monday showed. A total of 8,331 workers were placed on formal furlough programs, compared to 8,543 announced on Oct. 16. Meanwhile, the number of employers with furlough programs increased from 432 to 455, according to the MOL.

According to Focus Taiwan, Huang Chi-ya, head of the MOL’s Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, explained at a news conference that the decrease in furloughed workers resulted from 18 firms ending their furlough programs early due to a rebound in their orders. Three firms in the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry accounted for 563 workers returning to their original labor conditions.

In general, 372 firms in the manufacturing sector reported a total of 7,849 furloughed workers, making up about 95 percent of all the workers on unpaid leave. The metal electromechanical industry represented the majority within the sector, with 293 firms and 6,019 furloughed workers.

A total of 370 firms, with 7,575 furloughed workers, cited U.S. tariffs as the main reason for the furlough programs. This marked an increase of 16 firms but a decrease of 348 workers from mid-October, as larger companies primarily shortened their furlough programs. Of all 455 firms with furlough programs, 418 had fewer than 50 employees, while 17 firms employed more than 100 workers.

The MOL reported that 329 of the firms, accounting for 72.3 percent, were eligible for employment stability measures. Consequently, 6,782 of the workers, or 81.4 percent, can apply for wage subsidies.