Technology companies scramble to recruit engineers

"Our second fabrication facility will start running in November, and most of the major recruitment is for this plant," he said.

Of the 1,000 engineers working for Inotera Memories, 5 percent are foreign -- mainly from the US, Germany, India and Austria.

The company will be looking for more foreign expertise in the future, he said.

The shortage of workers can be attributed to competition from firms in China, as more Taiwanese have opted for R&D jobs there.

"Some Chinese companies can now afford to pay the same as us, or even offer a higher level to attract foreigners. The lower living costs there allow Taiwanese to live a comfortable life," Yeh from Princeton Technology said.

Data from 104 Job Bank indicated that the number of jobs created by Taiwanese companies in China last month was up 22 percent compared with the same period a year ago.

The majority of such jobs were in R&D, the company said.

Meanwhile, the title of "high-tech elite" seems to be losing some of its sheen in Taiwan, as technology firms are mulling changing the way they reward staff with share bonuses.

Since the late 1980s, with UMC as the pioneer, technology firms have been giving away share bonuses to employees as a part of their salary package, a strategy used to help retain employees.

But this could change this year, because a new alternative-minimum-tax law requires those whose annual earnings exceed NT$6 million (US$189,934) to pay taxes on stock they receive as part of their bonuses.

Chiu from 104 Job Bank suggested that instead of luring staff with competitive salary packages, enterprises should put more effort into creating a working environment where employees enjoy themselves and have fun.

Creating a friendly ambiance -- including dining, leisure and sports facilities -- will improve work quality and attract top-notch engineers, who have to work long hours each day, she said.

Despite the uncertainties, Chong Lit Ho (張力禾) is still looking forward to taking up a device engineer post with flash memory chipmaker Macronix International Co (旺宏) in July.

The Malaysian, who will receive his doctorate in electronic engineering from the University of Southampton in the UK this month, has decided to develop his career in Taiwan with his wife.

"Taiwan is one of the global semiconductor centers and it is where the industry is going to develop in the next decade," he said, explaining why he chose Taiwan.