AI Boom: Electronic Components Overtime Hours in First Two Months Hit 47-Year High

Taipei, April 15 (CNA) The booming artificial intelligence (AI) business has helped push overtime hours in the electronic components and computer, electronic, and optical product manufacturing industries to a new record for the first two months of this year, marking a 47-year high for the same period since statistics began. However, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) stated that the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East at the end of February requires close attention to its subsequent impact.

The DGBAS today released the latest employee statistics, showing that the total number of employed workers at the end of February was 8.557 million, with an average regular monthly salary of NT$48,494.

In addition, overtime hours are an indicator used by outsiders to monitor economic trends, because when companies have a full order book, operators must work overtime to cope. When the economy is good, overtime hours tend to rise, and vice versa.

Tan Wen-ling, Deputy Director of the DGBAS's Census Department, stated that January and February are affected by the different timing of the Lunar New Year, which causes changes in working days. Therefore, combining the data for January and February can more accurately reflect trends. This year, the average monthly overtime hours for the manufacturing industry in the first two months was 17 hours, the highest for the same period in 22 years.

The key factor driving the surge in manufacturing overtime hours comes from the strong demand for AI. Tan Wen-ling pointed out that the two industries directly benefiting from the AI boom saw the most significant growth in overtime hours. Overtime hours for electronic components were 28.3 hours, and for computer, electronic, and optical product manufacturing, they were 16.1 hours in the first two months, both setting new records for the same period in 47 years.

However, Tan Wen-ling also noted that there are significant differences in the manufacturing industry's economic performance. While the AI industry is performing brilliantly, the traditional industries still show no significant improvement in their sluggish situation, with, for example, the textile industry experiencing a year-on-year decrease in overtime hours.

Tan Wen-ling pointed out that the outbreak of conflict between the US and Iran at the end of February caused international crude oil prices to soar. Although the government's price stabilization measures have been effective, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) year-on-year growth rate in March was relatively moderate, if the conflict prolongs, the impact will inevitably expand, and close attention must be paid. (Editor: Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150415