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Taiwan Semiconductor looks to hire 2,500 people

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world's largest supplier of made-to-order chips, will hire 2,500 people next year, the most since 2000, because sales are recovering from a three-year industry slump.

More workers may be added depending on market conditions, spokesman Tzeng Jinnhaw (曾晉皓) said in response to a Chinese-language newspaper report.

Technology companies plan to add a record 10,000 jobs next year on expectations of an industry recovery, the report said, citing government officials.

The chip market will expand 11.8 percent this year to US$175 billion after growing 2 percent last year, according to researcher Gartner Inc.

Demand for workers may exceed supply, investors said.

"Taiwan's technology companies have been forced to increase recruiting," said George Hou, a fund manager at JF Asset Management Ltd in Taipei.

"It's a good idea because the industry is picking up," he said.

The nation's six makers of flat-panel displays used in computers and televisions will probably account for the largest percentage increases in hiring, Hou said.

AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), the country's largest maker of flat-panel displays used in computers and televisions, plans to hire a record 1,500 employees next year, spokeswoman Anny Chan said.

The company hired 1,400 last year and 1,000 in 2001.

AU Optronics had 7,645 employees by the end of last year, according to Bloomberg data.

TSMC next year plans to increase spending on new plants and equipment by a "large amount" to meet rising demand, chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) said on Oct. 28, without giving figures.

The outlook for next year shows clear signs of improvement, he said at the time.

The chipmaker may employ 3,000 new engineers and technicians, and rival United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) aims to add 1,000 to its ranks, the paper said, without giving this year's hiring numbers.

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