Nearly 50% of Taiwanese firms surveyed plan to raise employee wages in the second half of this year as business sentiment improves, reports the Taipei Times, citing online job board Yes123. The data showed that 49% of companies are considering raising wages, up from 44.8% in a similar poll last year to a four-year high. It was also up from 18.5% in a similar survey conducted in 2021. The job board attributed the increase to new product launches by global tech companies that could benefit Taiwanese firms in their global supply chains. Meanwhile, about 39% of companies said they are planning to issue bonuses in the second half, up from 36.3% in a similar poll last year and compared with 25.3% in the 2021 study.

The results of the study, conducted from May 25 to June 8, reflect improved sentiment among companies, as 35.1% of the respondents expressed optimism about the economy in the third quarter, outnumbering the 15% with negative views, the report said, while 49.9% held neutral outlooks. The study also found that 92.4% of firms plan to start hiring campaigns in the third quarter, up from 91.2% in the second quarter, with the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry showing the most interest in recruitment.