Hiring demand in Taiwan expected to spike in Q2 2021

Net hiring demand – derived from the number of planned hires minus that of expected attrition – is forecast to be 50,000 people for the second quarter versus the January-March period, said MOL, citing data from a survey it conducted in January. 

This increase will be the highest for the second quarter since 2012, when net hiring demand expanded by around 55,000 people. 

Mei Chia-yuan, head of the MOL’s statistics department, attributed the increase to a boost from heavy global demand for emerging technologies such as 5G applications and automotive electronics and devices related to the booming work-from-home economy, which have benefited Taiwanese exporters, especially those in the electronics sector.  

Mei also said old economy industries are starting to recover from slowdowns caused by the pandemic and are looking to recruit in export-oriented Taiwan.  

Consequently, the expected increase in net hiring demand in the second quarter for the manufacturing sector is projected to dwarf that of other sectors at 27,000 people, including 5,000 in the electronics component sector, 3,000 in metal businesses and 2,000 in the machinery sector, the MOL said. 

In other sectors, net hiring demand for the quarter is also expected to rise, with figures for the retail/wholesale sector and the hospitality/food and beverage sectors standing at 6,000 and 3,000, respectively. 

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About 69.2% of respondents in the survey said they will need a larger workforce to expand their businesses or diversify their operations. 

Another 12% said they have suffered long-term labour shortages, and 11.8% said they will recruit new workers to fill vacancies resulting from a loss in manpower. 

The MOL survey collected 3,040 valid questionnaires of employers with workforces of 30 people or more, according to Focus Taiwan.