Quanta may move 1,500 jobs overseas

The world's largest laptop maker, Quanta Computer Inc (廣達電腦), is considering to relocate about 30 percent of its workforce as a part of the company's plans for global expansion, a Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday.

About 1,500 employees of Quanta Computer are expected to be relocated to affiliated companies such as Quanta Display Inc (廣輝電子) and Quanta Storage Inc (廣明), or to its plants in other countries, including Europe, China and the US, the paper said.

Citing Quanta Chairman Barry Lam (林百里), the paper said the company's job relocation plan is not meant to cut its workforce. The average age of Quanta's workforce is 29 years.

Employees who do not want to be relocated to other companies or transferred to overseas factories will be given the choice of early retirement, the company said.

The Taoyuan-based company is scheduled to announce a detailed plan today, according to the paper.

Quanta Computer is cutting its domestic workforce because the company has been expanding production capacity in China, Europe and the US, while turning Taiwan into a base for research and development, the report stated.

Quanta Display, which employs 5,300 people, makes flat-panel displays for desktop monitors and notebooks. The company this month borrowed NT$30 billion (US$890 million) from 26 banks to set up a new factory to meet growing flat-panel demand.