Some analyses suggest that Samsung Electronics has a significantly higher employee turnover rate than SK Hynix, prompting debate within the semiconductor industry over differing comparison standards. Samsung's figures include global personnel from overseas production subsidiaries, while SK Hynix's data focuses primarily on domestic employees, raising concerns about the validity of direct comparisons.
According to industry sources, the five-year average turnover rate from 2020 to 2024, based on sustainability reports, indicates that Samsung's rate stands at 2.1%, lower than SK Hynix's 2.3%. Notably, when examining only the semiconductor sector, Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) division reportedly has a turnover rate in the 1% range, widening the gap with SK Hynix.
Recent surveys have suggested that Samsung's turnover rate for 2024 could be in the double digits, while SK Hynix's is projected to remain in the single digits. However, industry experts argue that these figures are not directly comparable, as Samsung's data encompasses all employees globally, while SK Hynix's figures are limited to domestic staff.
When focusing solely on semiconductor employees, Samsung's DS division is said to have a turnover rate in the 1% range, further increasing the disparity with SK Hynix.
Samsung operates large production facilities in countries like Vietnam and India, where local labor market conditions lead to higher turnover rates among production staff, thus inflating the global turnover rate. In contrast, to assess job stability in domestic semiconductor research and production roles, comparisons should be made within the same scope and job categories, experts suggest.
Internally, Samsung has indicated that the demand for personnel in High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and advanced packaging has increased, and the actual turnover of key staff in the DS division is being managed at a rate lower than the overall global turnover.
Industry observers view this controversy as indicative of the competitive sensitivity surrounding talent acquisition in the semiconductor sector. As competition intensifies in HBM and advanced foundry processes, employee retention is closely tied to corporate competitiveness.
In response, Samsung stated, "Samsung's figures include all domestic and international employees, while Hynix calculates only domestic staff, leading to apparent discrepancies. Given Samsung's extensive production lines in Vietnam and India, the frequent turnover among overseas production staff contributes to a higher global turnover rate."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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