Taiwan's hiring outlook improves for 2nd straight quarter in Q2: Poll

Taipei, March 11 (CNA) Taiwan's hiring outlook for the second quarter improved for a second straight quarter, with the financial services sector reporting the best hiring prospects, according to human resources advisory firm ManpowerGroup.

According to the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey (MEOS), which reflects hiring confidence among employers, Taiwan's net employment outlook in the second quarter was 29 percent after seasonal adjustments.

That was up from 22 percent in the first quarter and up from 20 percent over the same period of last year, ManpowerGroup said.

The survey calculates its net hiring index by subtracting the percentage of employers anticipating a decline in the size of their workforce from the percentage expecting an increase.

The survey found 44 percent of 648 employers polled in Taiwan said they expected to hire more people in the second quarter, while 14 percent said they anticipated a decline in hiring and 41 percent said their hiring plans remain unchanged.

This translated to a second-quarter net employment outlook index of 30 percent before seasonal adjustments, and 29 percent after seasonal adjustments, according to ManpowerGroup.

Among major business sectors in Taiwan, the financial and insurance sector recorded the strongest hiring outlook for the second quarter, with a net hiring score of 47 percent, up 23 percentage points from a quarter earlier, according to the poll.

Sandy Chang (張淑君), general manager of ManpowerGroup Taiwan, said in a statement that the improved hiring prospects were partly driven by growing demand for artificial intelligence, financial technology, cross-border asset management, and private banking talent.

The trade and logistics sector came in second with a net hiring score of 34 percent in the second quarter, up 13 percentage points from a quarter earlier.

It was followed by the professional science and technical services sector (33 percent) and the construction and real estate sector (32 percent), the survey found.

Of the 11 Asia-Pacific economies in the ManpowerGroup survey, India had the highest net hiring outlook for the second quarter at 68 percent, ahead of the United Arab Emirates (60 percent) and Vietnam (47 percent).

Taiwan was tied with China in sixth (29 percent), and Hong Kong was at the bottom at 11 percent.

Among the 42 economies surveyed worldwide, ManpowerGroup said a total of 41 reported an expected increase in hiring in the second quarter, and one (Romania) indicated a cut in hiring, according to the survey.

Taiwan's score for the second quarter was slightly below the global average of 31 percent.