Worker crunch hits world's top medical glove maker as demand spikes

FILE PHOTO: A worker inspects a glove at the factory of Top Glove in Kelang, outside Kuala Lumpur September 25, 2009. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The world's biggest maker of medical gloves is grappling with a serious shortage of workers as it tries to meet a huge surge in demand as countries such as the United States run out of personal protective gear due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Malaysia's Top Glove Corp Bhd, which makes one out of every five gloves in the world, needs to urgently recruit up to 700 more workers as orders in the past few weeks have doubled, the company told Reuters on Wednesday.