Over 55,000 People in Q1 This Year
Annual Net Increase of 700 to 5,000
Currently Large-Scale Experienced Hiring Underway
Significant Growth Expected in DS Workforce
[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Samsung Electronics' semiconductor workforce surpassed 55,000 in the first quarter of this year, marking an all-time high. This is interpreted as a move to strengthen talent acquisition for its global super-gap strategy.
According to the quarterly report disclosed by Samsung Electronics on the 29th, the number of regular employees in the DS (Device Solutions) division, which is responsible for the semiconductor business, totaled 55,903 in the first quarter of this year. This represents a 5.5% increase compared to the same period last year.
Looking at the DS division workforce changes over the past five years based on the first quarter, the number increased from 44,190 in 2016 to 44,979 (1.7%) in 2017, and 50,633 (12.5%) in 2018. This is attributed to additional staffing for the operation of the Pyeongtaek Line 1 factory in the second half of 2017. In the following year, 2019, the number was 52,960 (4.5%). Over the past five years, the DS division workforce has increased annually by about 700 to as many as 5,000 employees.
Notably, compared to the end of last year (54,421), the workforce increased by a remarkable 1,482 in just the first quarter of this year. This contrasts with the Consumer Electronics (CE) division, which handles home appliances, where the number of employees in the first quarter currently stands at 12,716, a 17.7% decrease compared to the first quarter of 2016.
Samsung Electronics is currently conducting the largest-ever experienced hiring in the semiconductor sector, so the DS division workforce is expected to increase significantly this year. Through this experienced hiring, the company plans to recruit hundreds of new employees across 51 job roles in 10 organizations, including memory, foundry, and the semiconductor research institute. Additionally, it has announced plans for ongoing recruitment of PhD-level talent to secure next-generation experts.
These recruits will be deployed in research related to data centers, cloud environment construction, and deep learning using artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has announced plans to establish an advanced semiconductor foundry factory in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, aiming to become the global number one in system semiconductors by 2030. As a result, the DS division workforce is expected to break records every quarter going forward.
Recently, Samsung Electronics' expansion of its semiconductor workforce is also seen as aligned with Vice Chairman Lee's management philosophy that "investment for the future must not stop, especially in difficult times." It is interpreted as an intention to maintain a global leadership position in the semiconductor ecosystem through world-class talent.
In fact, Samsung Electronics currently faces the challenge of catching up with U.S.-centered system semiconductor technology and outpacing China's "semiconductor rise" to respond to the expansion of new markets such as 5th generation (5G) mobile communications and high-performance computing (HPC). The global supply chain collapse caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensifying U.S.-China semiconductor hegemony war are also increasing future management uncertainties.
A Samsung Electronics official said, "Before the Pyeongtaek foundry factory begins full-scale operation in the second half of 2021, even excluding existing transferred personnel, a pure new recruitment of about 1,000 to 2,000 employees is expected."
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