Taiwan’s semiconductor industry faced a shortage of 34,000 workers as of May, a report released by 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) and the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI, 工研院) showed yesterday.
The shortage is attributed to the industry’s ongoing expansion, driven by increased investment in advanced manufacturing processes, the 2025 Semiconductor Industry Talent Report said.
The three main job categories in demand were “production/quality control/environmental safety,” “research and development,” and “operations/technical support and maintenance,” the report said.
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Job openings for production, quality control and environmental safety grew from 5,600 in October 2023 to about 10,000 in May, while demand in research and development rose from 6,000 positions in 2023 to 9,316 in May, it said.
Job openings in operations/technical support and maintenance surged 67 percent, from 4,300 in October 2023 to 7,240 in May.
The increase reflects rising demand for equipment operators and maintenance personnel, driven by the expansion of advanced manufacturing processes and packaging production lines, it said.
Last year, Taiwan accounted for 68.8 percent of the global foundry market and led the world in integrated circuit (IC) packaging and testing, holding nearly 50 percent of the market, said Jeff Lin (林昭憲), general director of the ITRI’s Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center.
The country is also a key production hub for chips at 7 nanometers and below, and produces up to 83 percent of the world’s artificial intelligence chips, Lin said.
From 2010 to last year, the output value of the nation’s IC industry tripled, while the number of newborns declined by about 20 percent, raising concerns over a potential talent gap.
Recruiting talent for operations/technical support and maintenance roles has proven especially challenging due to the need for shift work and an emphasis on hands-on, on-site skills, the report said.
The report also examined the sector’s salary structure, showing that among non-managerial positions, analogue IC design engineers earned the highest median annual salary at NT$1.78 million (US$60,292), followed by digital IC design engineers with a median salary of NT$1.57 million, it added.
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