15 Percent of Taiwan's High-Tech Professionals Unemployed
 
About 15 percent of Taiwan's technology professionals are currently unemployed and a majority of the employed are insecure about their future, sources reaching here from Taipei said Tuesday.

A survey by ARCO Info Comm of 1,310 high-tech professional readers of its publications showed that the 15 percent who are out of work were either laid-off or lost their jobs because their companies folded.

Of the remaining 85 percent who are still employed, over 90 percent said that they hope for better job opportunities elsewhere out of fear that they might be the next to go in a subsequent wave of layoffs.

In addition, 41 percent of those who are considering finding another job hope to receive better pay, while 39 percent are more concerned about their opportunities for further development. The remaining 20 percent said that both factors are equally important.

As high as 74 percent of those who are willing to seek out new jobs said that they wish to remain in Taiwan, while 19 percent said that they hope to work in China's mainland.

(People's Daily 07/18/2001)