Finance workers top 104 Job Bank list for annual bonuses

An average of 1.6 months of salary will be awarded to the nation's employees as year-end bonuses for last year, with the financial sector topping the list by receiving an average 2.6 months of salary, an executive of the Web-based 104 Job Bank (104 人力銀行) said yesterday.

"The average of 1.6 months of salary in year-end bonus saw a slight increase of 0.01 months of salary compared with the figures for 2006," Fang Kuang-wei (方光瑋), manager of public relations of 104 Job Bank, said at a press briefing yesterday.

The number of companies that have confirmed handing out year-end bonuses for last year, 81.4 percent of the total, however, saw a 5.1 percent decline compared with a year earlier, Fang said.

Manufacturing industries, listed second after the financial services and insurance industries, are expected to give out an average of 1.65 months of year-end bonus for last year, up 0.03 months year-on-year.

The construction and real estate industries, which came in third with an average of 1.65 months of year-end bonus for last year, remained the same as in 2006, 104 Job Bank's latest survey results showed.

RESEARCH

"Our research found that 32.9 percent of companies said they would not increase their employees' salaries this year, with only 18.3 percent of them saying they would," Monica Chiu (邱文仁), marketing director of 104 Job Bank, said yesterday.

"It is worth noting that 44.2 percent of the companies said they would make salary adjustments based on each individual employee's performance, and not the company as a whole," Chiu said.

He added that this type of floating salary system would become the norm in the future.

According to the survey, jobs that are more likely to see a raise in salaries this year are sales (36.1 percent), research and development (23.5 percent) and management positions (20.1 percent).

ABILITY

"Companies in recent years are especially looking for sales representatives that possess both the ability to sell their products and services and the expert knowledge and experience that are required in jobs such as wealth management specialists in the banking sector," Chiu said.

Meanwhile, workers who are more likely to see a decline in salaries this year are new employees with careers in secretarial positions (32.4 percent), manufacturing (10.2 percent) and human resources (6.5 percent), the survey showed.

The survey was conducted between Dec. 11 and Dec. 17 last year, with a total of 1,176 valid respondents, at a 95 percent confidence level, and a 2.9 percent of standard deviation.

The interviewees were members of 104 Job Bank.