Taiwanese companies based in the Hsinchu Science Park cut about 2,477 employees during the first 11 months of this year amid worsening economic woes, up 70 percent from 1,446 workers a year ago, according to the latest figures compiled by the Administration of Hsinchu Science Park.
The figure was about the same level as the 2006 figure for the first 11 months — before the effects of the global financial meltdown became apparent — said Tu Chi-hsiang (杜啟祥), deputy director-general of the administration.
Tu yesterday called for the management of firms in the park to keep in mind that an excellent workforce is the bedrock of any business seeking long-term sustainable development.
The Hsinchu Science Park, located in northern Taiwan, is known as the country’s “Silicon Valley,” as it was the first science-based industrial park to be established and is still the largest of its kind in terms of revenues, the number of companies in operation and the number of people employed there.
As of last month, Hsinchu-based companies hired about 125,950 employees excluding overseas laborers, the administration said.
Last year, about 125,589 people worked in Taiwan’s Silicon Valley, the home to many big-name companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), the world’s top contract chipmaker.
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