The survey predicts an 18% increase in recruitment activity

• By Crystal Hsu / Staff Reporter

A ManpowerGroup study released Tuesday showed that employment in Taiwan will grow by double percentage points next quarter as health care, transportation and logistics, and industrial materials sectors recruit workers to meet business needs.

The human resources consultancy’s quarterly Employment Outlook Index shows hiring expected to increase 18 percent over the next three months as 39 percent of companies have expressed plans to hire more workers, 21 percent intend to reduce staff and 39 percent would not for this. According to the survey, any changes need to be made.

The survey collected responses from 630 Taiwanese companies.

Photo: Wu Cheng-ting, Taipei Times

Companies in the healthcare and life sciences sectors showed the greatest willingness to recruit (43%), followed by the transport, logistics and automotive sectors (41%), and industrial and materials industries (31%).

Lai Yi-wen (賴怡文), managing partner of the professional talent division at ManpowerGroup, said the findings were not surprising as the world places greater importance on healthcare following the Covid-19 pandemic.

This trend explains why labor demand in the health care and life sciences sectors increased by 23 percent from three months earlier, Lai said.

Healthcare facilities are generally taking a proactive approach to developing smart healthcare systems, and drugstore chains are looking to scale up, Lai added.

The study found that high turnover in frontline workers has also contributed to high demand and employers need to take action ahead of time to prevent labor shortages.

Taiwan’s aging population is increasing labor demand in long-term care facilities and chronic disease management, ManpowerGroup said, adding that medical institutions are recruiting specialists.

At the same time, these sectors have made efforts to hire workers with digital skills, believing that digital transformation will play an important role in the future of healthcare, it said.

Employee recruitment remains active in the transportation, logistics and automotive sectors – although slightly lower than the previous quarter – as demand for domestic and cross-border tourism remains stable, ManpowerGroup says.

It said operators want to accelerate digital transformation, improve the work environment, address persistent labor shortages and increase operational efficiency.

The latest employment forecasts suggest a 20 percent increase over the previous quarter in the industrial and materials sectors.

Lai attributed the recruitment drive to government social housing projects as well as local technology and manufacturing companies building factories in Taiwan and abroad.

In addition, reconstruction work related to the April 3 Hualien earthquake will create 1,000 jobs, Lai said.

Lai said people with experience in cleanrooms, electronics, mechanical, refrigeration and air conditioning would be in high demand.