Taiwanese jobseekers might benefit from increased hiring activity next quarter, as employers in the nation’s major industries are planning to raise headcounts, US-based human resources advisory firm ManpowerGroup Corp said yesterday, citing a survey.
Of the 1,033 employers who responded to the quarterly survey, 67 percent said they would keep current staffing levels, 29 percent forecast an increase and 3 percent predicted a reduction.
After seasonal adjustments, net employment gains stood at 24 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous quarter and flat from a year earlier, it said.
“Employment levels are expected to climb in major industry sectors in the July-to-September period, led by firms in finance, insurance, real-estate and manufacturing sectors,” ManpowerGroup Taiwan general manager Joan Yeh (葉朝蒂) said.
The development of financial technology by local financial service providers and robust global demand for Taiwanese exports account for the uptrend, Yeh said, adding that renewable energy investments also lent support.
Firms expressed keen demand for employees with information technology backgrounds, such as software developers, designers and engineers, Yeh said.
On average, individual companies intend to hire 10 to 20 more information technology personnel, she said.
Large companies have higher demand for personnel than small and medium-sized enterprises, the survey found.
There are many open positions for process, quality-control and equipment engineers in the semiconductor industry, as the nation’s export orders rose over the past 21 months, it found.
Electrical engineers and mechanical technicians are also in great demand, as the government seeks to boost offshore wind farm construction, Yeh said.
Firms in the service sector also expect an increase in staffing levels in the next three months, encouraged by the fast-growing popularity of mobile devices, virtual reality gadgets and streaming services, ManPower said.
That explains why companies expressed demand for big data analysts, Internet of Things engineers and information safety professionals, it said.
E-commerce operators are also recruiting personnel to meet business needs, the company said.
However, the survey showed a slowdown in hiring activity compared with three months earlier, which ManPower blamed on falling domestic demand.
Luxury restaurants, hotels and department stores have announced closures to stem losses, whereas discount store chains plan to expand and add personnel, it said.
Firms in the mining and construction sector forecast a steady workforce for the next quarter, while jobseekers can expect a positive landscape in the transportation and utilities sector, the company said.
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