Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) is expanding its workforce and production footprint as global demand for advanced chips grows.
The key contract chipmaker's expansion plans remain on track despite the U.S.–Iran conflict, which has triggered a broad selloff in semiconductor and major technology stocks.
Taiwan Semiconductor Launches Major Hiring Push
Taiwan Semiconductor said it plans to hire about 8,000 employees this year to support its expansion and will offer an average annual salary of 2.2 million New Taiwanese dollars ($69,449) to newly recruited engineers with a master's degree.
The company launched a recruitment campaign in Taiwan that included a job fair at National Taiwan University, where it sought engineers and technical staff for facilities in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, the Taipei Times reported on Sunday.
Taiwan Semiconductor said it is recruiting talent across multiple fields, including electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, business management, and accounting, while also targeting specialists in AI, big data, and digital transformation technologies.
The company plans to hold additional recruitment events at other universities and online, and to run a summer internship program for university students.
Political Debate Over U.S. Fab Expansion
In other news, Taiwan Semiconductor's overseas investments have sparked debate in Taiwan.
Some politicians from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) argue that building chip fabs in the U.S. could weaken Taiwan's semiconductor industry, the Taipei Times reported on Monday.
KMT Deputy Secretary-General Lin Pei-hsiang criticized the move as a "substantial hollowing out" of Taiwan rather than reciprocal cooperation, while former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je said it amounts to "selling Taiwan out to the United States."
Both parties are pushing legislation to restrict semiconductor technology transfers.
However, the report said such claims — which resonate with some voters amid Taiwan's economic anxieties — are misleading, arguing that Taiwan's global chip dominance is not threatened by its investments in the United States.
TSM Price Action: Taiwan Semiconductor shares were down 1.02% at $335.43 during premarket trading on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo by Jack Hong via Shutterstock
