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Companies upbeat about job prospects

"Taiwanese employers are holding a positive attitude toward the nation's political situation, cross-strait relations and the overall market after the March presidential elections and the change the election results bring."

Terence Liu, general manager of Manpower Taiwan

The nation's job prospects will rebound strongly from the slowdown experienced in the past six straight quarters, as corporate executives anticipate political uncertainty will diminish after the presidential election and as a result of economic stimulus measures, a quarterly survey from employment service group Manpower Inc said yesterday.

The net employment outlook for the local job market would rise to 19 percent after seasonal adjustment, compared with 13 percent in the second quarter of last year, defying a slowdown in most countries or regions in the world, Manpower's latest survey showed.

Taiwan has lagged behind most Asian countries since the fourth quarter of 2006, Manpower said.

"Taiwanese employers are holding a positive attitude toward the nation's political situation, cross-strait relations and the overall market after the March presidential elections and the change the election results bring," said Terence Liu (劉玿廷), general manager of Manpower's Taiwan branch.

Next quarter, Taiwan's job market could be the second-strongest in Asia after Singapore's, the survey showed.

Overall, of the 1,357 Taiwanese employers interviewed this quarter, 33 percent intended to add to their workforce, while 7 percent sought to reduce jobs, the survey showed. Fifty-two percent said their workforce would hold steady.

Hiring outlook in the nation's Service sector and wholesale and retail trade sectors should register the strongest rebound, while the financial, insurance and real estate sectors may grow more cautiously, the survey said.

The transportation and public utilities sector and manufacturing sector came last, it said.

"The results may reflect local air carriers' bullish view about direct travel between Taiwan and China," said Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉), a research fellow at Academia Sinica and former chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission.

Cash-strapped Far Eastern Air Transport Co (FAT, 遠東航空) is an exception, he said.

Shih was invited by Manpower to join a discussion group on the nation's job prospects yesterday.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has said he would lift the long-term ban on direct travel with China and relax restrictions on Chinese visiting Taiwan as soon as possible if he won the election.

To spur economic growth, Democratic Progressive Party candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) has said he would put the emphasis on boosting domestic demand and consumption via cuts in business taxes as well as other measures.
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