2012年11月16日

台商 沒有優勢 玩不過 思考轉型

台商不敗 轉型是硬道理

  • 2011-06-28
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  • 新聞速報
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  • 【中央社】

     巨龍崛起專題--台商轉型篇(中央社記者康世人台北28日電)「台商根本沒有優勢,玩不過人家,我開始思考轉型。」曾被譽為「亞洲拉鍊大王」的台商楊進發,驚覺大陸市場轉變,轉行經營連鎖咖啡店,一舉把他拱入2011胡潤中國外來富豪榜。
     這20年來大陸從遍布農田、荒野、毫無基礎建設,到成為「世界工廠」,如今經濟飛奔帶動內需,陸客消費力打造「世界市場」;巨龍崛起,撼動全球。台商楊進發就是靠著「轉型」,搭上這班過站不停的東方經濟列車。
     當年才30歲的楊進發,跟著第一批台商登陸設廠,,隨後買下東莞一家拉鍊廠,靠勞力密集?錢,1992年至1995年之間,年營收一度高達人民幣10億元,讓他奪下「亞洲拉鍊大王」的稱號。
     但好景不常,當地人買更大的機器設備,以更低的價格來競爭,「我開始思考轉型」,楊進發說,所以他不像其他同業大舉擴廠,反而謹慎保守只接穩當的訂單,結果躲過1997年亞洲金融風暴。
     他說,當時就相信,「大陸不會一直落後下去,遲早總會步上台灣經濟起飛的道路,包括房地產上漲、人民消費力提高、內需市場大幅增加,都會出現。」
     秉持這個信念,他和朋友一起投資老樹和上島兩個咖啡連鎖店品牌,成為上島咖啡8大股東之一。
     在上島咖啡分家後,楊進發分到浙江,成立兩岸咖啡,以杭州為總部,並逐步擴大為大型複合式餐飲集團,如今在大陸開了500多家分店,年營業額逾人民幣25億元(新台幣逾100億元),並獲得高盛和華生資本聯合注資2.1億元,預計2012年在上海A股上市,接著回台上市。
     積極轉型後,楊進發資產累積達人民幣10到29億元,2011年胡潤中國外來富豪榜中,被排入榜單名列第14,成為台商由製造業轉型服務業的成功模範。
     再看看徐振森的故事。
     做過修路工人、白手起家,從事燈飾與照明的瑩輝集團主席徐振森,同樣面臨台灣經營成本上升,1992年到東莞虎門投資設廠,透過強化庫存與物流配送後,第7年起轉虧為盈,年營業額直逼7、8億港幣。
     生意愈做愈大,徐振森經常要接待從國外來的客戶從香港到東莞虎門。「一杯柳澄汁」讓他有了跨足服務業的心。
     回憶起當年,徐振森說,「東莞當時真的沒有一家像樣的酒店(飯店),叫杯柳橙汁,服務員(服務生)卻送來兩顆柳丁,跟服務員反映,他還說吃下肚不就是橙汁」,服務水準讓人只有搖頭的份。
     於是,徐振森為了接待客戶,決定自己開一家五星級飯店,於2000年在東莞開設首家飯店東莞豪門大飯店,由製造業一腳跨進了服務業,目前在東莞和西安各有一家五星級飯店,成為集團下的金雞母。
     徐振森說,由於台灣人從小受到的教育,在服務上就是比大陸人要到位,細節也更加注意,體貼度更好,加上擁有和國際接軌的管理經驗,這些讓台灣人目前在大陸服務業市場還佔有很大的優勢。
     不是每位台商都來得及轉型。在「發展就是硬道理」的大旗下,大陸沿海地區富起來了,工資也開始上漲了,土地成本也上揚,有些台商被迫轉往越南、印尼等勞力和土地成本更低的東南亞重新開始。
     但財力稍差的,面對勞工成本上漲、當地政府逼著搬遷,土地成本負擔不起狀況下,只好關門大吉,結束營業。
     1990年初期,在上海郊區某鎮拿到土地,蓋紡織廠房的一家台資企業,在紡織業利潤愈來愈差,一些生產線停止運轉後,把部份空置廠房租給其他企業,仍能持續生存,但現在開始面臨當地政府要求收回土地、被迫搬遷的困境。
     上海台商協會會長李茂盛分析指出,面對大陸經營環境變遷,台商必須要轉型才能存活,同時也要跟著大陸擴大內需的政策腳步走,服務業確實是台商轉型的最佳選擇之一。
     楊進發也認為,大陸現在要從外銷轉向內需,服務業需求將加大,加上人民收入不斷提高,市場胃納量只會更大,台商現在看準時機,拋棄過去以外銷導向模式,轉型進軍大陸內需服務業還為時不晚。
     楊進發以複合式餐廳產業為例指出,台灣人過去在台灣這樣競爭的市場,對服務業已有一套管理和操作流程,尤其是細緻體貼服務和態度,外加新潮、時尚的氣氛營造,這些都是當地人不容易複製的,台灣人若不趁現在時機進來大陸爭取市場,把品牌做大,將來就沒有機會了。
     在「發展就是硬道理」大旗下,中國大陸已成為世界第2大經濟體,也是全球成長最快經濟體之一。台商要能即時掌握因應,拋棄過去的代工與專注外銷模式,跟著大陸市場變遷而「轉型」,才是王道。1000628
    

http://money.cnn.com/2012/11/14/technology/texas-instruments-layoffs/index.html

Texas Instruments to lay off 1,700

@CNNMoneyTech November 14, 2012: 6:12 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Chipmaker Texas Instruments said Wednesday that it will lay off 1,700 workers in an effort to shift focus away from its struggling mobile business.
The job cuts represent about 5% of TI's staff, and they are part of a previously announced restructuring initiative aimed at cutting costs and increasing its presence in the burgeoning embedded device market. Shares of Texas Instruments (TXNFortune 500) rose about 1% in afterhours trading.
The Dallas-based company had made some headway in the smartphone market a few years ago. But recently the biggest mobile phone makers, including Samsung and Apple (AAPLFortune 500) have opted to design their own chips for their respective Galaxy smartphones and iPhones.
Other mobile processor competitors, including Samsung, Qualcomm(QCOMFortune 500) and Nvidia (NVDA) have also had better success in the smartphone business. Even Intel (INTCFortune 500)has made strides, signing recent deal with Motorola (MSIFortune 500)to put its new mobile chips in future Motorola smartphones.
TI says it's time to reconsider its strategy, opting instead to embrace what many industry experts believe is the future of the mobile sector: embedded connectivity in everyday items, including appliances, cars and even clothing.
"We have a great opportunity to reshape our [mobile] processor and wireless connectivity product lines to concentrate on embedded markets," said Greg Delagi, head of TI's embedded processing division, in a statement. "These job reductions are something we do with a heavy heart because they impact people we care deeply about."
TI said it expects to be able to save $450 million by the end of 2013 by making the cuts. The company said the layoffs will cost $325 million, most of which will be realized in the current quarter. To top of page

德州儀器裁員1700人

2012-11-16 
全球領先的半導體跨國公司——德州儀器也陷入裁員風波。該公司昨日宣佈計劃裁員1700人,占員工總數的5%。
德州儀器表示,此次裁員到2013年底將為公司節約4.5億美元,該公司預計裁員的相關費用開支將達3.25億美元。不過並未透露裁員具體從何時展開,但預計將涉及全球各個分公司。
德州儀器的三季報盈利不及預期,雖然凈利潤增長30%,但營收卻下滑2%。該公司此前還宣佈,計劃不再以為手機行業開發OMAP移動應用處理器為業務重點,轉而將資源投向嵌入式晶片業務。


2012年9月20日

? Samsung May Cut Spending Due to Apple Row ? 三星擬將明年半導體投資規模縮減近一半 ?


Investors' Soapbox PM

 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Samsung May Cut Spending Due to Apple Row

Caris & Co. says Samsung growth outlook could be impacted.


Caris & Co.
Unofficial reports are indicating Samsung Electronics could be reducing 2013 capital spending by half. The reports were published in the Kyunghyang Shinmun, a Korean news source.
If true, the cuts would represent about $6.5 billion based on the capital-spending budget for 2012 of $12.5 billion-$13.4 billion. This would be a significant gap to fill and would likely cause capital spending in 2013 to be down double digits. Although expectations for 2013 capital spending are low, we think the rumors will weigh heavily on the group and no equipment companies in our space would be immune. We still think strong demand for mobility products during the Holiday season could drive overall foundry capital spending higher in 2013.
Samsung has overbuilt for both DRAM and NAND flash segments and we had already been expecting reductions. However, the cuts could also indicate that the friction in the relationship with Apple (ticker: AAPL) could be impacting Samsung's growth outlook for both foundry and NAND flash manufacturing.
We think strong demand for mobility products during the Holiday season could lead to stronger foundry spending. There have been news reports that already indicate Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) could increase capital spending by $2 billion in 2013. We think Taiwan Semi's spending could ramp to even higher levels if they gain a meaningful share of Apple's business. We estimate that foundry spending could account for 45% of capital spending in 2012 and could approach 50% in 2013.
DRAM and NAND are not likely to rebound unless [ Intel (INTC)-defined] Ultrabooks gain momentum. Although the demand for Ultrabooks has been weak, lower pricing and the coming launch of [ Microsoft (MSFT)] Windows 8 should be demand catalysts in 2013. We estimate DRAM and NAND spending should account for 28% of spending in 2012 but will likely fall below 25% in 2013.
-- Ben Pang

MarketWatch:三星擬將明年半導體投資規模縮減近一半


《MarketWatch》周三(19日)報導,三星電子(Samsung Electronics)(005930-KR)計畫將明年半導體投資規模縮減近一半,因市場需求不振且價格持續下滑。
報導引述南韓當地媒體《漢城新聞(Kyunghyang Shinmun)》指出,三星高階主管表示,「市場狀況不佳而且公司今年已投入相當高的投資」。

據悉,今年三星對半導體業務的投資金額約有 14- 15 兆韓元(125- 134 億美元)。
三星今年 7 月公佈第 2 季財報時表示,上半年資本支出為 14 兆韓元,其中半導體事業約佔 9.7 兆韓元。
台北時間周三上午 10:30,三星股價下滑 0.61% 暫報 130.7 萬韓元。

2012年9月12日

TSMC expects Q3 results boost


TSMC expects Q3 results boost

Capex to rise for 2013 as Apple rumours circle





TSMC announced today it had increased sales by 32 percent, while reports claim that the foundry is set to up its capex spend amid talk of new orders from Apple.
In financial results released today, the Taiwanese foundry said that unconsolidated sales were up to $1.64 billion during August, increasing two percent over the previous quarter and 32 percent from the same point in 2011.  Consolidated sales increased 31.5 percent over August 2011.
Commenting on the results, TSMC's chief financial officer, Lora Ho, said that third quarter revenues are now expected to be slightly higher than previous estimates.
According to CENS, TSMC is also set to increase its capital expenditure budget by 25 percent, up from $8 billion to $10 billion during 2013.  
Although TSMC is not expected to make any official announcements until later this year, the increased spending would enable expansion of production at its current leading edge 28nm process, as well as beginning volume production of 20nm chips.  Cash would also be spent on advanced lithography tools, and beginning development of 16 nm chips.
The increased capex budget will also dovetail with the growing rumours that Apple is to ditch its mobile patent sparring partner, Samsung, with regards to chip production for its smartphones.
The battle between the two has become increasingly savage and Apple appears to be looking for alternative component suppliers.
Citing sources close to Chinese-language Economic Daily NewsCENS claimed that plans for TSMC to begin pilot production for Apple in the first half of 2013, with volume production to kick off in the second half of the year.


Read more: http://news.techeye.net/chips/tsmc-expects-q3-results-boost#ixzz26GBj2x41




TSMC to up 2013 capex to $10bn

David Manners
Monday 10 September 2012 09:05
According to Taiwan’s Economic News newspaper, TSMC is to increase capex by 25% from this year’s $8bn to $8.5bn, giving it a 2013 capex of around $10bn.
Last week Intel announced it was cutting capex to under $12bn. The company had intended to spend $12.5bn this year until it was hit by a softening PC market in Q3.
Top of the pile in capex spenders this year is Samsung which has a budget of $13.1bn.
TSMC has been under pressure from customers such as Qualcomm and Nvidia to increase capacity or improve yields or both, following a shortage of 28nm IC which is not expected to be resolved until the end of Q4.
SEMI, the trade body for fab equipment suppliers, says it expects a 17% growth in the fab equipment market to $43bn, making it a golden year for the manufacturers of chip-making equipment.

TSMC to Start 450mm Production in 2018


Although Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is showing a lot of interest towards the next-generation tools that will be used to process 450mm wafers and even made a strategic investment into ASML, a provider of lithography tools, it looks like actual production of chips using large wafers is still six years off at TSMC.
TSMC now expects to begin running pilot 450mm lines in 2016 or 2017, said J.K.Wang, TSMC's vice president for operations, at a press event ahead of the Semicon Taiwan trade-show, reports China Economic News Service. TSMC's roadmap for transition to 450mm had been reportedly completed and the company intends to start making commercial chips on 450mm wafers sometimes in 2018. Apparently, the new plan is much more conservative than those outlined by the company's executives in 2010 and 2011.
Last year TSMC said it would build the first pilot production line at its Fab12 phase 6 (with 20nm technology)  that processes 450mm wafers in 2013 - 2014 timeframe and would start mass production of semiconductors on 450mm wafers in 2015 - 2016.
It appears that TSMC has delayed its 450mm plans by two years and will now use 450mm wafers in combination with 10nm-class process technology with FinFET transistors. According to Bin Lin, TSMC’s vice president for research and development, TSMC will use the legacy immersion lithography technology on its 10nm and 16nm transistors as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is still immature. Only production technologies thinner than 10nm will use EUV or multi e-beam lithography technology. By contrast, Intel Corp. wants to deploy both 450mm wafers and EUV at the same time.
The reasons why TSMC pushes back its 450mm fabs are unclear. Intel is constructing a 450mm-ready factory at the moment. It is unknown when ASML plans to make its 450mm lithography equipment ready for production, which means that there may be changes in plans of Intel and Samsung Semiconductor as well.


台積電:18吋晶圓估2018量產 EUV於10nm導入

2012/09/04 16:59記者 王彤勻 報導


全文網址: http://www.moneydj.com/KMDJ/News/NewsViewer.aspx?a=b9b0d93e-342d-4543-8e9f-698a28273a31#ixzz26GAK362K
MoneyDJ 財經知識庫 

TSMC cuts stake in SMIC


TSMC reportedly cuts stake in SMIC
Commercial Times; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Thursday 6 September 2012]
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has sold off almost 191 million shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) at HK$0.291 (US$0.04) each, cutting its stake in the China foundry to 7.63% from 8.22%, according to a recent Chinese-language Commercial Times report.
TSMC previously received 1,789,493,218 Hong-Kong listed ordinary shares of SMIC as part of an agreement reached between the two companies in late-2009 to settle their trade secrets dispute.
In other news, SMIC has reported that revenues for the second quarter of 2012 climbed 26.8% sequentially and 19.7% from a year earlier to a record US$421.8 million. SMIC credited the positive sales performance to rising sales generated from its 65nm/55nm process technologies, and specialty processes for the manufacture of power management ICs, EEPROM and others.
Thanks to a higher utilization rate, SMIC saw its gross margin double to 24.1% in the second quarter from 12% in the first. The firm swung to net profits of US$7.1 million in second-quarter 2012, compared to the losses generated in the prior quarter and a year ago.

Smartphone processor sales surged in Q1

 智慧型手機處理器市場 UP

市場研究機構 Strategy Analytics 的最新報告指出,全球智慧型手機應用處理器市場營收,在 2011年第一季達到16.8億美元規模,較去年同期成長了108%;同時間蜂巢式基頻晶片的銷售額,則達到20%的年成長率。
Strategy Analytics 的報告指出,高通(Qualcomm)、德州儀器(TI)、三星電子(Samsung Electronics)、Marvell與Nvdia,在第一季名列全球前五大智慧型手機應用處理器供應商;該排行榜也反映了智慧型手機廠與作業系統領域的競爭態勢,仍持續對應用處理器供應商的際遇有所影響。
根據 Strategy Analytics 的資深分析師Sravan Kundojjala表示,德州儀器在 2010年第四季就將佔據多年的智慧型手機應用處理器龍頭供應商寶座,拱手讓給高通;此一情勢延續到了 2011年第一季。該機構估計,高通的 Snapdragon 應用處理器在第一季佔據該公司整體智慧型手機處理器出貨量的22%,這也讓該公司守住了產品的平均售價(ASP)。
在此同時,整體蜂巢式基頻晶片的營收在 2011年第一季達到35億美元,高通憑藉其 CDMA 、 W-CDMA 與 LTE 基頻晶片,位居出貨量第一名的供應商。而博通(Broadcom)、英特爾(Intel)與展訊(Spreadtrum Communications)等廠商的第一季基頻晶片出貨量也成長強勁,但聯發科(MediaTek)、ST-Ericsson的基頻晶片第一季營收則較上季衰退。
Kundojjala指出,英特爾的蜂巢式基頻晶片營收在第一季成長近兩倍,主要是因為取得了一線手機廠商的設計案:「儘管最新版的 MeeGo 作業系統遭遇挫敗,諾基亞(Nokia)仍然是貢獻英特爾基頻晶片出貨量的重要客戶;然而,英特爾顯然在諾基亞的3G基頻晶片供應商名單中缺席,這對英特爾來說是威脅、也是個潛在商機。」
此外根據Strategy Analytics報告,展訓的基頻晶片出貨市佔率,在第一季首度達到了兩位數字;對此該機構手機零組件技術研究總監Stuart Robinson表示:「展訊的出貨量大幅成長,動力來自於其積極的訂價策略、全球市場的擴充計畫,以及來自中國政府的研發經費補助。」
編譯:Judith Cheng
(參考原文: Smartphone processor sales surged in Q1)

中國勞工問題 產業供應鏈隱憂?

電子產業高階主管們所擔心的許多事項中,牛仔褲的價格似乎一點兒也不重要。然而,上週傳出中國「牛仔褲之城」廣東增城市新塘鎮爆發群眾衝突的新聞──執法人員逮捕非法小販引發群眾情緒激動後,如何在亞洲電子產業謹慎投資值得關注。
在這起群眾衝突事件中,值得注意的並不只是該事件的發生,更重要的在於它得到了媒體的報導、拍攝與傳播,並搏得了國際版面的關注與討論,特別是其公然挑戰了中國政府一貫採取封鎖這類消息的作法。這一事件格外重要,因為一向被視為中國服裝產業樞紐的增城,距離作為重要製造業基地的廣州市大約僅一小時左右,然而,比起棉花製造,增城更想爭取晶片製造方面的機會。
而在中國以外的鄰近亞洲地區,以及更廣大的全世界,眾所關注的焦點都是增城暴動事件的細節。在歐洲、澳洲或甚至是印度,我敢說很少有人會在乎爭論的焦點是否跟牛仔褲有關。從外界的觀點看來,毋寧說是越來越大無畏的中國勞工們要求雇主以及小型企業要求地方與中央政府都得作出讓步的最新證據。至少,我們看到越來越多的行動正成功地讓全世界都知道中國有這些訴求的存在。
現在我們已經看到了一連串的事件發生,至少在五六年前,我們根本不可能掌握到這麼完整的資訊。首先是公開坦承發生在富士康廠房的幾起自殺事件、然後是抗議工資太低、最近同樣發生在富士康的重大爆炸事件,以及現在公開在YouTube播放的增城暴動事件;但接下來的問題是:從供應壓力與群眾觀感的觀點來看,當電子產業進入增城後,究竟發生了什麼變化?
這並不是一個理論性的問題。正如我們從日本最近發生海嘯災難後所觀察到的,投資者們都非常擔心亞洲供應鏈可能因而動搖。位於亞洲的國際連鎖加工廠、組裝廠以及託貨廠商都非常複雜,而且最近似乎每個人都在談論儘量減少前往中國的機會,這是過去根本不可能的現象。一開始先是工資正持續上漲,接著又是勞工問題。而今,再加上這幾起對於勞工保護採取強硬態度的例子,印尼、印度或更接近消費市場的一些非亞洲地區正開始變得越來越具有吸引力。
針對所有這些問題的一個明顯解決方案似乎是一種最不可能發生的情況──那就是為中國勞工的理性訴求與言論自由尋求認同與擔保。「我覺得這裡並不存在什麼法律準則,地方官員可以為所欲為,」在增城事件後,一位中國製造工人這麼告訴路透社的記者。如果真是這樣,那麼隨著越來越多中國勞工反彈的證據開始在國際媒體間發酵,華爾街即將開始看到中國在亞洲已高度擴展的供應系統中挺而走險,並將開始尋求更多的擔保。
而如果他們能夠這麼做的話,中國勞工擁護者將利用加深投資人緊張的方式來為製造商施加壓力。如果發生這樣的情況,問題將會回歸到OEM之間競相需要供應商支持的戰場,而中國官方至今似乎仍更想打壓這些問題的證據,而不是積極地減輕這些問題所帶來的影響。
幾年前,一部分的技術革命是用牛仔褲這種矽谷流行的休閒裝扮來取代刻板的東岸商務套裝。曾幾何時,它卻成了看來合適但卻不舒服的比喻。
編譯:Susan Hong
(參考原文:Beware of Growing Chinese Labor Unrest,by Marc Herman)

在公開報導中 的72位大陸億萬富翁死亡案例

72名億萬富豪短命 活不過50歲

  • 2011-07-23
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  • 旺報
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  • 【記者陳曼儂/綜合報導】

     大陸媒體最近整理2003年以來在公開報導中能找到的72位大陸億萬富翁死亡案例,居然大多是「死於非命」,且多活不過50歲。億萬富豪是否成為大陸的「危險職業」?網友說,錢沒用完就死了,也是一種悲哀。
     大陸《新文化報》報導,這72位億萬富翁死亡案例中,15名為他殺、17名自殺、7名死於意外、14名被執行死刑,另有19名是積疾早逝。
     就算死於疾病,也被認為是為了賺錢而過勞死;長春市健康教育中心主任丁春生表示,中國人平均壽命已超過70歲,億萬富豪病逝的年紀明顯偏小,人類健康的四大基石是「合理膳食、適量運動、戒煙限酒、良好心態」,富豪們恐怕都做不到。
     在72名億萬富豪中,死於疾病的19人,占了26%,是富翁的第一殺手,且平均年齡只有48歲,心血管疾病最多,包括37歲死亡的上海中發電氣董事長南民、福星科技總經理張守才等9人;癌症則有7人。
     若是勤奮起家,大部分時間都是工作和應酬,長時間焦慮除了積勞成疾,壓力和挫折恐怕也是危機,72人中有17人是自殺,包括景德鎮市信義房地產開發集團董事長邵和諧等7人自縊、辰能哈工大高科技風險投資總經理趙慶斌等5人選擇跳樓;今年最恐怖的新聞,恐怕就是44歲的包頭市惠龍商貿董事長金利斌自焚案。
     長春聰慧心理諮詢中心主任張振環表示,很多企業家內心世界很孤獨,遇到壓力和挫折時不會尋求心理幫助,一旦超過極限,就會走向極端。
     但也有不少自殺屬於「畏罪」,這也是大陸網友看到這篇報導後,感想多是「為富不仁」而非同情的原因。也有14人是因為觸犯法律被判死刑,包括黑道、詐騙或買兇殺人。
     死於他殺的平均年齡才44歲,統計中,有15名富豪死於他殺,占被統計人數的20.8%。海鑫鋼鐵集團董事長李海倉因沒有滿足夥伴的過分要求被槍殺;臨海江海造船董事長嚴寶龍被熟人敲詐未果遭槍殺;北京祖豹毛皮輔料綜合市場董事長周祖豹,因為生意糾紛被自己生意伙伴雇傭殺手砍死等,都是血淋淋的社會新聞。
     大陸媒體結論,無論兇手是朋友、生意伙伴還是競爭對手,共同目的就是「錢」,人為財死的背後,折射出目前貧富差距過大的隱患。

2012/07/10 台北熱飆38.3 今夏新高


台北熱飆38.3 入夏新高  2012/07/10 12:05:00

中央氣象局指出,台北10日中午11時38分高溫攝氏38.3度,創今年入夏來新高紀錄。在台北車站附近候車的民 眾或路過行人紛紛躲到店家陰涼處,避免遭太陽灼傷。(中央社記者張新偉攝 101年7月10日)

(中央社記者林紳旭台北10日電)台北市今天高溫持續飆升,中央氣象局最新觀測資料,中午11時38分出現攝氏38.3度,創今年入夏來新高紀錄。

根據氣象局觀測,台北市今天上午11時38分出現38.3度、板橋為36.8度、基隆34.9度,其餘各地約為33到34度。

氣象局不排除中午氣溫會再破紀錄,今年入夏的最高溫已經連續3天突破。

氣象局說,由於太平洋高壓影響,全台都是晴朗炎熱天氣,台北是盆地地形,加上都市熱島效應,氣溫容易飆高,到13日前,台灣各地都會維持這樣的天氣型態。

中央氣象局表示,近百年來台北市的最高溫為38.6度,分別出現在1921年7月31日、2007年7月21日和2010年的7月3日。

李明博 :跳過大學,去工作


失業世代╱南韓頂尖大學生 也找不到工作

為了在大公司找到高薪工作,南韓高中生上大學的比例幾乎是4分之3,結果使大學生供過於求。南韓前30大企業去年雇用26萬大學生,剩下6萬名大學生擠不進去,讓青年失業率飆到7.3%,是整體失業率的兩倍多。
今年25歲的金惠民以優異成績從南韓頂尖大學畢業,英語流利而且有三星信用卡公司與AT Kearney顧問公司的實習經驗,可是她應徵20家公司全部沒錄取。
金惠民說,「以前大學學歷還有實質意義的時候,頂尖大學畢業通常是進入前10大公司的保證。我認真讀書,把每件事做好,可是很多人也跟我一樣啊」。她現在開始學中文,就是為了讓自己進大公司的機會再多一些。
南韓本來是全世界最重視學業成就的國家,家長花大錢讓孩子上學,學生一天念書超過12小時就為了進大公司。愈來愈多年輕人都頂著高學歷,可是他們夢寐以求的所謂「前30大企業」,根據韓國工業協會資料,只佔總就業率的6.8%。
現在政府的態度180度大轉變,南韓總統李明博說:不要念大學,直接去工作。
延世大學經濟學教授宋泰允說,「對學歷的狂熱還有要求每個人追逐相同工作的社會壓力,讓南韓付出代價。問題不是工作太少,而是缺乏就業品質,與求職者一味追逐大企業,缺乏思考其他工作選擇的彈性觀念」。

Skip College Is Top Advice for World-Beating Koreans: Jobs


Skip College Is Top Advice for World-Beating Koreans: Jobs

Kim Hye Min boasts a 4.0 grade- point average at one of South Korea’s top colleges, a perfect score in English proficiency and internships at Samsung Card Co. (029780) and AT Kearney Inc. All of her 20 job applications were rejected.
“A degree from a good university used to guarantee a spot at least at a top 10 company, but that was when a college degree actually meant something,” Kim, 25, said on Aug. 28, as she walked to a Chinese lesson she’s taking to boost her chance of joining one of the nation’s most prestigious employers. “I studied hard and did everything right, but there are too many of us who did.”
University students look at employment information booklets at a job fair organized by the Ministry of Knowledge and Economy in Seoul. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
A 20 year old job seeker looks at employment information at a job fair in Seoul. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg
Lee Myung Bak, South Korea's president's new message to many high-school students is: Skip college and go to work. Source: Yonhap News via Bloomberg
With almost three out of four high school students going to college in an effort to get a top-paying job in one of the leading industrial groups, known as chaebols, South Korea is being flooded with more college graduates than it needs. Its 30 biggest companies hired 260,000 of them last year, leaving another 60,000 to swell the youth unemployment rate to 6.4 percent in August, more than twice the national average.
The government’s response is a U-turn from decades of increasingly competitive and expensive education that made South Korea No. 1 in the world for academic qualifications. President Lee Myung Bak’s new message to many high-school students is: Skip college and go to work.
“This is the price South Korea is paying for its education fervor and social pressure on everyone to want the same jobs,” said Sung Tae Yoon, an economics professor at Yonsei University in Seoul. “The problem is not the lack of jobs, it’s the lack of quality employment and the lack of flexibility among job seekers to consider options beyond the conglomerates.”

All Work

South Korean students are pushed to study more than 12 hours a day in order to get to one of the top colleges, like Yonsei, from which companies such as Hyundai Motor Co. (005380) and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930), the biggest shareholder in Samsung Card, typically draw their executive graduates.
While more and more children achieve the required academic success, the coveted top 30 business groups in Asia’s fourth- largest economy account for only 6.8 percent of total employment, according to Federation of Korean Industries data.
Many rejected applicants don’t even show up in official jobless numbers. One quarter of all college graduates under the age of 30 are classified as “Neets” -- not in education, employment or training -- and are excluded from unemployment data. Lee Joon Hyup, a research fellow at Hyundai Research Institute in Seoul, estimates the real youth jobless rate -- for those between 15 and 29 -- is as high as 22 percent.

Unemployment Rate

That compares with a rate of 0.8 percent in Singapore for 15-to-24-year olds in June, 2011, the latest published data from the Ministry of Manpower. In the U.S., the unemployment rate in August for those age 16-to-24 was nearly 17 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Reckless university enrollment has aggravated both the private education burden and youth unemployment,” President Lee said last month during a visit to a job fair in Seoul. “It’s a huge loss, not just for households but the whole country.”
Last year, 99.7 percent of South Korean teenagers attended high school and more than 95 percent of those graduated, according to the Education Ministry. Nearly 84 percent of high- school graduates enrolled in college in 2008, the latest year comparative data are available from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That was the highest rate among the organization’s 34 members.

Confucian Values

The drive for academic success, underscored by Confucian values of education and hard work, has spawned more graduates. Of young adults, 25 to 34 years old, 98 percent had at least a secondary education in 2009, the highest rate in the OECD, according to a 2012 report by the organization. That compares with 40 percent for South Koreans in the 55-to-64 bracket.
The situation in South Korea contrasts with the U.S., where 68 percent of high school students attended college in the fall immediately following graduation in 2010, prompted by better employment prospects and higher wages for those with degrees. That compared with 49 percent in 1980, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The U.S. unemployment rate for those age 25 or older who held a bachelor’s degree and higherwas 4.5 percent in August, compared with 8.4 percent for high school graduates, BLS data shows. The pay advantage for four-year college graduates over high school grads has doubled over the past 30 years, according to a recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
South Korea’s President Lee, himself a vocational school graduate, attributes youth unemployment to the entrenched competition for academic credentials and has introduced policies to encourage young people to skip college and “work first, study later.”

Tax Breaks

To persuade companies to hire high-school graduates, the government in September 2011 started offering companies tax incentives of up to 20 million won ($17,776) for each one they employ. Career counseling services and job fairs help teenagers explore options other than college. Funding has increased for vocational schools, which are designed to prepare students directly for employment as engineers and other professions.
The results are beginning to show. Banks nearly tripled the number of high-school graduate recruits in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period last year. Government- controlled Woori Bank, Korea Development Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea doubled their hiring quota for the same group.
Kim Ye Bin, 18, is one beneficiary of Lee’s policy. After attending the vocational Yeosu Information Science High School in the southern port city of Yeosu, she got a job at Korea Asset Management Corp. under the special recruitment program. She’s training to provide consulting services to poorer families with low credit ratings.

Job First

“I decided to get a job first, rather than following others to college, as I heard many college graduates have trouble finding jobs,” Kim said. She still worries that her future advancement may be curbed “in a society filled with college graduates” because she only has a high-school diploma. “I may need a university degree someday but I hope employers will value work experience more than academic background.”
To succeed, the government will have to wean South Korean society off a culture of academic ambition. Families spent 20.1 trillion won on private tuition last year to boost children’s chances of a place at a good university. College students took out 34.2 billion won in June from private loan sellers to fund tuition and living costs, according to the privately funded Financial Supervisory Service in Seoul. South Korea had the second-highest share of private funding for education among the 34 OECD member states, according to an OECD report released yesterday citing 2009 data.

Economic Band-Aid

The proportion of vocational-school students going on to college fell to 61 percent last year, from 74 percent in 2009, as Lee’s policies encouraged graduates to enter the workforce, Ji Hye Jin, an Education Ministry official who handles vocational-school policies, said in a Sept. 11 phone interview.
The government’s “work first, study later” policy is a Band-Aid to cover the underlying problem that the economy needs to create more jobs that college graduates want, said Moon Keun Chan, a business administration professor at Soongsil Cyber University in Seoul.
“The battle for a handful of jobs at top companies is a result of South Korea’s unhealthy, decades-long reliance on chaebols,” said Moon. “The chaebols found a way to generate profit without hiring many people by monopolizing business opportunities, giving no chance for small businesses to grow.”
An Jong Hyun, an official at the Federation of Korean Industries, a lobby group for conglomerates, said the surplus of college graduates was a structural problem in Korean society that needs a comprehensive set of policies to resolve.

Policy Failure

“Youth unemployment is a combination of graduates’ rising expectations and the lack of policies nurturing growth from small and medium businesses,” An said in a telephone interview on Sept. 11. “It isn’t right to attribute it to the lack of jobs created by larger corporations. The business groups are working continuously to hire more people.”
Last month, 24 ruling New Frontier Party lawmakers, led by Nam Kyung Pil, submitted a bill to parliament that would restrict the power of the chaebols’ controlling families to redirect capital between units, which are tied by a network of cross-shareholdings and weighted voting rights. The practice gives the groups an unfair advantage over smaller businesses that lack the resources to compete, the bill’s supporters say.
With a presidential election coming up on Dec. 19, both leading parties have named youth job creation as a key campaign issue to win over younger voters.

Keep Trying

College graduates like Kim Hye Min would rather keep trying to land a place at one of the top companies instead of starting work at a lower-tier firm. In a 2010 survey of 3,000 students by the Korea Employment Information Service, 40 percent said they would be willing to spend a year unemployed rather than settle for a lower-paying job. The average starting annual salary for a new hire at a conglomerate this year was 34.6 million won, or 54 percent more than at a small- or medium-sized business, according to an April survey by online employment agency JobKorea.
South Korean companies hold a second round of applications this month and Kim is applying again to the same 20 companies that rejected her in the spring, hoping her new Chinese skills will give her an edge.
“I’d rather be unemployed with a college degree than employed with just a high-school diploma,” she said. “I don’t want people to think I’m under-educated. My degree vouches for my hard work. I hope it will eventually pay off.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Sangwon Yoon in Seoul at syoon32@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net