Posted on 01/01/2025 9:07:58 PM PST by anthropocene_x
A full half of the jobs created by the first TSMC Arizona chip plant have been filled by workers from Taiwan, despite the company receiving up to $11.6B worth of grants intended in large part to generate US jobs.
TSMC’s announcement that it was building a chip fabrication plant in Arizona was hailed as a major success for the US CHIPS Act – intended to free the US from dependence on China for advanced chip supplies, and to generate jobs for US workers. Apple proudly announced that it would be buying American-made chips for some of its devices.
The gloss soon began to wear off, however. The first plant will only be able to make larger process chips, only suitable for older Apple devices, and it wasn’t long before TSMC demanded bigger subsidies and fewer rules. The project fell behind schedule, and over budget, with production already pushed into 2025, from 2024.
TSMC originally said that the prevalence of Taiwanese hires was simply a temporary measure during the construction phase. However, this claim was questioned as the situation remained unchanged last year.
Taiwanese large companies have a very Japanese business culture.
They will make sure all their own trusted people are in top positions to ensure that start-up and production all go smoothly.
They will only then slowly pass over authority to local employees after these employees have proven themselves worthy and they fit with the culture of the company.
It could take years.
this is still the run up to production, I think 50% is pretty decent.
I expect next year there will be far more American workers.
(unlike Microsoft where 80% of the tech workers are .indian or other foreigners)
THANK GOD this chip plant was located in a state with abundant water supplies...
Not malarkey in this case, because they are producing chips, but not all the ones they want. TSMC definitely wants to produce 2nm (it would be stupid not to) in Arizona but its struggling to get there.
And so also with the workforce. The Taiwanese manufacturing management has had serious personnel and regulatory issues. From the Taiwanese point of view the US and Arizona governments are screwups.
Call it a delayed or incomplete project. And Harris & Co. had nothing to do with it. The deal goes back to the Trump days (2020).
Yes, I would hazard that TSMC managememt thinks Americans available are unqualified for those jobs simply because they have come to rely upon only their people. TSMC is the best in the business, so it’s hard to argue that.
🤣
THIS would be a legit case for temporary H1-Bs.
Not unless you are an engineer, or a highly skilled mechanic or electrician, or a tool maker.
Wafer and microchip fabs are the most automated factories in the industrial world.
80% of the high tech fab jobs are easily trained blue collar labor, except you wear a clean room bunny suit.
I would be surprised if more than 20% of a USA fab work force earns more than $60,000.
However, all their benefits will be above average.
Almost all fabs run 24-7-365.
That means they need highly reliable workers who show up on time and sober, zero drug and alcohol issues, and zero Clean Room violations.
Agreed. It’s on the job training only. There’s no school that can teach it. Americans trained will be a valuable resource going forward.
Jobs might be touted (see other posts above) but this project is 99% about giving the US a foot in the door for high tech chip production (may take time) and giving TSMC a place to, if precariously, land if the op in Taiwan becomes rubble or Chinese rubble.
Yes, when China takes Taiwan, we are going to have tens of thousands (or more) asylum seekers who can work in that plant.
The brutal TSMC work culture does not work with Americans. It’s so intense and 100 percent work focused that even younger Taiwanese quit after a short stint. This plant will fail if they try to keep their present culture.
Who cares!
Get ALL their skilled workers, researchers, system designers and production experts HERE ahead of Chi-Coms looting Taiwan.
I’d start a fast migration of PP&E and their people to the US, then FEDEX Chairman Xi the keys to an empty island. :->
Better the Taiwanese than dregs we have been letting in.
This plant will also fail if they adopt our culture.
As well as they should.
That’s a tough list to meet using only native born labor. I live smack in the middle of MAGA and Vance territory and can attest to the lack of drug free sober literate hard working (24/7365) potential employees. Not to mention the entitled attitudes. Can’t read a tape measure, digital readout, and expect $25/hr plus benefits and no expectations.
Well, from our point of view, also. :)
They will find some capable American workers, but fewer than they need. As others have mentioned above, the work culture is too big an adjustment.
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