[Semiconductor Talent 'Each Country for Itself']② US Requests 500 Talents from TSMC... Talent War Ignoring Even Allies

Governments and Companies Worldwide Increase Semiconductor Investment
Growing Investment Raises Workforce Supply Issues

US Anticipates 58% Vacancy in New Semiconductor Jobs
Germany Faces Annual Shortage of 62,000 Semiconductor Workers

Securing semiconductor talent is closely related to the expansion of production facilities in various countries. Not only in South Korea but also in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, and Europe, semiconductor production facilities are being established worldwide as these countries regard semiconductors as economic and security assets. In this process, although astronomical investments have been made by various semiconductor companies and governments, the supply of manpower has not supported quantitative expansion.

The country facing the greatest difficulty in securing semiconductor-related personnel is the United States. After introducing the "CHIPS Act," which provides subsidies to companies establishing or expanding semiconductor production facilities domestically, investments have surged in a short period, overwhelming the labor demand. In particular, the U.S. has been criticized for neglecting the cultivation of related personnel due to the decline of manufacturing. As a result, as the country shifts to a manufacturing reinforcement strategy, labor issues have emerged as the biggest obstacle.

According to a recent report published by KOTRA, 65% of semiconductor investments announced in the U.S. last year were used for expanding production facilities. Investment plans related to 10 states within the U.S. were announced in the manufacturing sector alone. Texas Instruments is investing $11 billion in Utah to build a new production facility, while Microchip announced investments of $8.8 billion and $8 billion in Colorado and Oregon, respectively, to expand production facilities. Intel plans to invest $30 billion and $20 billion in Arizona and Ohio, respectively, to build new factories. Micron is also set to invest $15 billion in Idaho to open a memory semiconductor plant.

Additionally, investment news from global semiconductor companies continues. Taiwanese foundry company TSMC is investing $40 billion to build a new factory in Arizona. Samsung Electronics is constructing a new foundry plant in Texas.

In the U.S., local media such as Bloomberg and The New York Times have raised concerns about labor shortages. TSMC postponed the operation of its Arizona plant by one year, setting the start date to 2025, due to insufficient personnel to operate the factory. Because of a shortage of personnel to install and operate extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment essential for fine process implementation, TSMC requested the dispatch of 500 experts from Taiwan.

Recently, TSMC also hinted at the possibility of delaying the operation of its second Arizona plant following the first. On the 18th (local time), The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a statement from TSMC Chairman Liu Deyin, that "the start of production for the 3nm facility is expected to be delayed by 1 to 2 years from 2026." While the main reason is to secure more subsidies from the U.S. government, labor shortages are also said to have had a considerable impact.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) in the U.S. projected that semiconductor jobs in the country will increase from 345,000 last year to 460,000 by 2030. Although 115,000 new jobs will emerge, 58% of these, or 67,000 positions, are expected to remain vacant. Of the unfilled jobs, 39% are expected to require certified technicians or those with two-year degrees, 35% four-year degree engineers or computer scientists, and 26% engineers with master's or doctoral degrees.

This is also a pressing issue in Europe. In Germany, where investments are actively being made including Intel and TSMC establishing new foundry plants, there is a shortage of personnel to support these efforts. New personnel recruitment is limited, and the number of retiring personnel is gradually increasing. A local economic research institute forecasted that 33% of engineering supervisors and 28% of electrical engineering experts in the German semiconductor industry will reach retirement age within the next 10 to 12 years.

A research report commissioned by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) shows that currently, the German semiconductor industry is short of about 62,000 personnel annually. ZVEI explained, "While the shortage of skilled personnel appears in other industries as well, the semiconductor industry requires a high level of technology and expertise, making it more difficult to secure experts in a short period."

A semiconductor industry insider predicted, "Considering the current growth trend of the semiconductor market, the shortage of personnel in the future could be greater than expected." Talent poaching is happening internationally. Last year, SK Hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho lamented at a semiconductor event, "Micron's talent is taken by Intel, and Micron takes talent from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix."