'5 plus 2' industries forecast to create 30,000 jobs a year

Taipei, May 25 (CNA) The "5 plus 2" industries, one of the major economic policies of President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) administration, are expected to create about 30,000 new jobs a year over the next three years, according to the National Development Council (NDC).

In a forecast on the local job market Friday, the NDC said the biggest job creation will be in the semiconductor sector, one of the "5 plus 2" industries, which will account for 12,000 jobs a year.

Apart from the semiconductor industry, which is called the Asian Silicon Valley development in the policy, the "5 plus 2" initiative includes biotech projects, green energy, smart machinery, the defense industry, new agriculture and the circular economy.

The NDC said the smart machinery industry is expected to create 9,000 new jobs a year, and the biotech industry 3,000, while green energy, smart machinery, the defense industry, new agriculture and circular economy will each account for 1,000 newcomers per year.

In addition, digital economy, artificial intelligence and financial technology related to the 5 plus 2 industries are expected to each create more than 1,000 jobs a year, the NDC said.

Within the "5 plus" industries, the biggest demand is for science and engineering professionals, followed by information and communications talent, according to the NDC, which is the top economic planning body in Taiwan.

More than 90 percent of the companies in the 5 plus 2 industries need employees who hold a college degree or higher and have at least two years' relevant work experience, the NSC said.

Some companies have launched overseas recruitment efforts, seeking software development engineers, program design engineers, and others to fill their job openings, according to the NDC.