According to the Ministry of Finance, exports fell for the fifth straight month in January in Taiwan, with export volume sliding over 20 percent year-on-year. The Taiwan Institute for Economic Research's business indicator flashed blue again for December, while multiple beverage shops chains announce another price increase.
On the 8th, the price of a large bubble milk tea at this chain will go up to NT$95.
Manager, Milksha: “Labor costs keep going up and there's global inflation. Transport costs and the cost of milk and all other raw materials have gone up in the past year. This is why we were forced to hike the prices of certain products.”
Milksha says the prices of selected products will go up on the 8th. The chain last hiked prices of certain products a year ago, and the prices of those products will remain the same. This time around, the prices of 43 beverages will go up NT$5. Taiwan's export sector is also under pressure, with export volume falling for the fifth consecutive month and over 20 percent year-on-year from US$32 billion to US$30.4 billion in the month of January. Manufacturing is also struggling, with the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research's score for the industry falling from 9.72 points last November to 9.48 points last December and the indicator light continuing to flash "blue."
Dachrahn Wu, CEO, Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development, NCU: “In order to keep their businesses afloat, they have to think about various ways to cut costs, whether that's putting workers on unpaid leave or laying off workers. This is unavoidable in today's climate.”
Experts say Taiwan's economy and exports will only turn around if interest rates go down around the world in the second half of the year. If interest rates remain high, more workers could find themselves on furlough.
Q彈珍珠加上黑糖鮮奶，不少人就愛這一味，不過，從8日開始，這一大杯的珍珠手炒黑糖鮮奶，一杯就要95元，逼近一張百元大鈔。
迷克夏品牌主管指出：「由於人事成本的持續上升，全球性通膨導致運費還有鮮奶等許多原物料，在去年也持續上漲，才於今年針對部分品項來調整價格。」
迷克夏表示，8日開始調整部分飲品售價，由於去（2022）年2月已經調漲過一次，因此去年調漲過的項目，今年不再漲價。總計共有43款品項，每杯調漲5元。不過，不只國內餐飲漲價一波波，國內出口也面臨隱憂，外界預測1月出口金額，恐怕持續衰退，金額只有304億到320億美元，年減超過2成，恐怕連5黑。而台經院公布的製造業景氣燈號，去年11月9.72分，12月掉到9.48分，依舊呈現低迷藍燈。
中央大學台經中心執行長吳大任表示：「他為了要維持他公司的經營，他當然會想盡各種辦法來撙節成本，人事的這個部分，他可能就會讓員工開始放無薪假，或者嚴重的話，他可能甚至需要裁員，所以這部分看起來是很難去避免啦。」
專家預測，除非下半年各國宣布降息，經濟和出口才有可能好轉，訂單逐漸回籠，否則無薪假情形，恐怕會持續擴大。