TAIPEI - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, will recruit more than 6,000 new staff in 2023, the company said in a statement on Saturday.

The hiring drive comes despite a global downturn in the chip industry.

According to TSMC, the company will seek young engineers with associates, bachelor’s, masters’s or doctorate degrees in electrical engineering or software-related fields, in cities all across Taiwan.

The average overall annual salary of a new engineer with a master’s degree is NT$2 million (S$88,000), the company added.

A decline in demand for electronics and high inventory levels following a shortage of some chips have led to a downturn for the semiconductor industry.

Since late 2022, a number of chip companies around the world have reined in investments.

Intel recently announced that it would cut payments to mid-level staff and executives from 5 per cent to 25 per cent.

TSMC’s dominance in making some of the most advanced chips for high-end customers such as Apple has shielded it from downturn.

The company slightly reduced its annual capital expenditure for 2023 and predicts a first-quarter revenue drop, but has said it expects demand to pick up by the second half of this year. REUTERS