Taipei Times: Recent media reports have suggested that Asia's young adults are jumping from job to job at the drop of a hat. How does Taiwan's youth compare and what is the root of the problem?
Rocky Yang (楊基寬): I do find that the younger generation, approximately aged 18 to 30 years, are less committed to their jobs than adults near my age. According to a survey, 47 percent of college graduates changed their jobs in the first year of work, and 83 percent did the same thing in the second year. In other words, almost every college graduate will shift jobs in the first two years after graduating. This phenomenon results from a notion that is widespread among young adults: jumping from job to job enhances a worker's value. That is, they believe their reputation will be enhanced by the company they work for. Unlike my generation, a worker's value comes from improving and succeeding in an unfavorable position. Besides a lack of loyalty, a small group of young people even put the value of their freedom ahead of achievements at work. Some would rather be roadside vendors than rank-and-file staff in a company. The number in this segment is growing in Taiwan, but not significantly compared to the massive working class. These people will find themselves not easily accepted by companies, and they will miss the time to accumulate work experience and skills, too.
TT: With unemployment hovering around 5 percent for more than a year, what is your forecast for the jobless rate after university students graduate and for the rest of the year?
Yang: Unfortunately, I have to say that the unemployment rate will rise to 5.5 percent, a record high, in June after university students graduate, and linger between 5 and 5.5 percent for the next half of the year. First, Taiwan's economy has been dwindling following the world economic downturn in 2001. Second, industrial sectors have moved west to China for cheap labor and resources and this further increases the jobless number. Furthermore, the recent SARS outbreak cut around 10 percent of jobs that are usually offered after graduation. With the jobs-to-applicant ratio getting smaller, a jobless rate hovering from 5.5 percent to 5 percent is expected.
TT: Who are the winners and losers in finding a job this year?
Yang: Judging from the positions available, job applicants with science and engineering backgrounds will score better than literature majors, as 50 percent of the job opportunities are related to science and engineering professions. But on average, 50 percent of job seekers vie for 25 percent of the administration posts available. If discussing this question in terms of prerequisites to have in hand when searching for, or keeping a job, I have a "seven up" theory. First, bilingual ability is needed to compete in the international community; second, durability like a salesperson will help weather the harshest environments; third, computer-programming skills are important; fourth, financial management skills will promote workers into higher positions; fifth, insight into the Chinese market will be valuable as China's economy has the fastest growth nowadays; sixth, a favorable personality will help an applicant land a job. With the above six conditions, along with a worker's own major specialty, he or she will always be a hot product in the job market.
RSS