Four state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are planning to recruit more than 1,000 workers later this year, the highest number in almost 10 years, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday.
Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電), CPC Corp, Taiwan (中油), Taiwan Sugar Corp (台糖) and Taiwan Water Corp (台水) are to hold joint examinations on Nov. 11 to hire 1,171 workers, the ministry said.
A total of 34,844 people have signed up for the examinations, it added.
The recruitment is aimed at making up for a personnel shortage resulting from an upcoming wave of retirements, as well as the new work-hour rules that were implemented in December last year, it said.
New employees will be offered a starting salary of NT$35,000 to NT$38,000 per month.
Chen Hui-chen (陳慧珍), deputy director of the ministry’s human resources department, said that the job openings surpass an originally planned 897, adding that the four companies might add even more job openings.
Taipower said that the stable remuneration offered by state-owned firms is attracting more jobseekers.
Pension payments remain the same, as mandated by labor regulations, even though the government is seeking to cut pension payments for civil servants and public-school teachers as part of its reform program, the company said.
Jobseekers under the age of 30 account for more than 50 percent of those who have signed up for the company’s recruitment plan in the past four years, it said.
Taipower said it also launched its own recruitment campaign earlier this year to hire 736 temporary employees from a total of 25,148 hopefuls, with a starting wage of NT$27,000 per month.
1111 Job Bank vice president Daniel Lee (李大華) said that job openings at state-owned enterprises appear more attractive to jobseekers, especially after Premier William Lai (賴清德) announced a 3 percent wage hike for civil servants, teachers and military personnel starting next year.
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