Recruiting in China

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Roughly 41,000 job opportunities, including 31,000 full-time positions as well as 10,000 part-time jobs in the nation's retail enterprises, will open up this March, according to a survey conducted by 104 Job Bank.

The labor think tank released their March 2013 Recruitment in Local Enterprises survey yesterday, which showed the retail industry enjoying the most job growth compared to other sectors.

The retail industry has been quickly expanding over the past five years, according to the report, offering positions with monthly salaries ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$70,000.

Despite the abundance of jobs opening up in the sector, the report warns job seekers that positions in retail are known for tough requirements, and work-performance evaluations are often tied directly to sales goals.

Previously, the job bank said that local demand for new employees would increase after the Chinese New Year holidays. The statistics showed that demand for labor supplies was expected to increase in March, a month marked by the start of recruitment on college campuses.

According to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), the unemployment rate in January this year was 4.16 percent, the lowest in the last six months.

Overall, strong demand for labor has been increasing since February as the job market has seen an expansion since the New Year holidays, said the DGBAS said.

The job bank said 24.5 percent of local enterprises are optimistic about the economy for March, while 17.2 percent of the enterprises surveyed are pessimistic over a possible economic recovery.

According to the report, 32.9 percent of enterprises are planning to take on new employees in March, while 44.6 percent of local enterprises will freeze hiring, and 9.7 percent will decrease their recruitment. Nearly 13 percent remain uncertain.