The world’s largest chipmaker promised to create thousands of US jobs. There are growing tensions over whether US workers have the skills or work ethic to do them.::Jobs at the TSMC semiconductor factory in Arizona could require long hours and total obedience. Americans may push back on the company’s culture.
So many ignorant comments in this thread. First of all, Taiwan isn’t some poor, developing nation, they’re extremely modernized and highly educated. They literally rank among the highest education rates and scores in the world: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Taiwan
For comparison of a basic education stat, the US has around a 79% literacy rate among adults while Taiwan has around 98%.
Second of all, TSMC workers in Taiwan make decent money on average:
https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202307010011
And for their US operations it will be above average as well:
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/TSMC-Salaries-E4130.htm
https://www.salary.com/research/company/tsmc-salary
Now, I do agree that their work culture appears to be toxic. However, how many companies in the US are just as demanding and brutal? While Americans are stereotyped as lazy, we’re actually the exact opposite when you look at our average productivity and workloads.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/175286/hour-workweek-actually-longer-seven-hours.aspx
https://clockify.me/working-hours
https://www.bls.gov/productivity/
Compared to some Eastern countries, we’re definitely working less, but not necessarily producing less, as it’s pretty much proven that longer hours results in a sharp drop off in productivity.
Anyway, just food for thought.
Just to be clear, by “skills or work ethics” they mean, the ability to enslave them and have them on call 24/7 and THEY have to thank us.
It’s never been about US workers having the skills. It’s always been that we expect to be compensated for our labor. Paying real wages looks bad for their bottom line so they export the work and import the product at a fraction of the cost.
Actually of you read some of the stuff TSMC’s top guy says, you’ll see there may be a bit more than compensation involved. It looks a bit like racism. Something about Taiwanese brains vs American brains. It’s not good at all.
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Why would anyone know how to make chips, if we don’t make chips. Who’s going to teach them to make chips, the chip fairy?
Mr. Pringles
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The comment in this thread are a good summary of why TSMC has concerns. I fully support workers rights of course. But from TSMC’s perspective, WHY would they want to put up with all our ‘crap’ when they can continue operating in Taiwan with their standard practices?
Because they don’t want to lose grasp on the chip market. Semiconductors will be made in the US. Better for them to capture the market than try to compete with it.
Also, why should we put up with their crap? The whole point is to diversify where we get semiconductors and not be so dependent on Asia. We actually need to figure this out in a way that doesn’t result in underpaid Americans.
