Massive retention effort comes amid surging demand for skilled talent in chipmaking industry
Semiconductor equipment firm ASML Holding is offering employees a bonus worth €20,000 in stock in an effort to retain staff as the chipmaking industry competes for skilled talent amid surging AI-driven demand.
The bonus comes in the form of a conditional stock grant from 1 January, 2027, which ASML said is still being finalised, Reuters reported.
The bonus will be available to all eligible employees of the firm as an incentive to make them stay between 2027 and 2030.
ASML has 44,500 employees globally, with more than half located in the Netherlands and around 8,500 in the United States, according to the Reuters report.
The company provides chipmakers with the hardware, software, and services needed to mass produce microchips.
ASML's bonus comes as other employers in the semiconductor industry also offer generous bonuses to employees.
Unionised workers at Samsung Electronics in South Korea recently voted in favour of a new wage deal that includes a special performance bonus for the company's chip-making division.
These moves follow the growing demand for talent amid surging AI-driven demand in the chipmaking industry.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently said global memory chip demand could nearly double next year, while overall semiconductor demand is expected to increase by 50 to 60%, The Korea Times reported.
