Taiwan is attracting a growing number of foreign jobseekers as companies increasingly recruit overseas talent to ease labor shortages and expand global reach, recruitment platform 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行) said yesterday.
More than 40,000 foreign nationals searched for jobs in Taiwan through the platform last year, a 28 percent increase from a year earlier, the company said.
Malaysians accounted for the largest share of overseas jobseekers at 12.2 percent, followed by Indonesians at 11.9 percent and Vietnamese at 10.8 percent. Indonesian applicants surged more than 50 percent year-on-year, while Vietnamese jobseekers rose by more than 30 percent.
Photo: CNA
Applicants from the Philippines, India and the US also recorded notable growth, highlighting Taiwan’s rising appeal as a destination for international talent, it said.
Foreign applicants are generally well educated, it said.
About 62 percent hold bachelor’s degrees, while 25 percent have master’s or doctoral degrees, 104 Job Bank senior manager Yang Kai-wei (楊鎧維) said.
More than half of the applicants studied in Taiwan, forming a pool of international professionals already familiar with the local environment and workplace culture.
“These internationally trained professionals tend to integrate more easily into the local workplace and often have stronger communication advantages,” Yang said.
Demand for overseas talent among local employers is also rising, with about 40 percent of companies indicating they welcome foreign applicants.
Restaurant and hospitality positions accounted for the largest share of jobs where employers actively invite foreign candidates for interviews, followed by sales roles and financial professionals.
Yang said the restaurant sector’s demand partly reflects efforts to address labor shortages.
International chains such as Kura Sushi have recruited foreign staff to provide multilingual services, helping attract international visitors and expand into overseas markets.
Foreign professionals also play an important role in sales and financial positions. Their language skills and cultural familiarity help Taiwanese companies better understand overseas regulations and business practices while building trust with international partners, the job bank said.
Government policy changes also support international recruitment. Starting this year, international student graduates are allowed to work during their extended stay without having to apply for a work permit and without restrictions on job positions.
The change gives companies greater flexibility in hiring, enabling them to fill vacancies more quickly and strengthen workforce capacity.
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