GUANGDONG, CHINA-- According to a report by Dominique Numakura the Guangdong local government has increased the minimum monthly wage by approximately 20% per year beginning in July. The Guangdong government plans to double worker’s income in the five years.
The Shanghai government increased the minimum wage 14% in April. This comes on the heels of a previous 14% increase in late 2007 effectively pushing the wages in the Shanghai area up by 27% in less than one year. At the current rate of increase, salaries will double every three or four years.
LOS ALTOS, CA – Semiconductors have fallen, revenues slowed and factory investment has headed south. In fact, outlays for chip facilities are forecast to be off 20.3% this year after a modest 5.7% advance in 2007, says Henderson Ventures.
Rollercoaster investment spending has created a corresponding pattern for IC manufacturing capacity utilization. Because factory utilization has crept from 86.4% in the fourth quarter 2006 to 89.3% during the second quarter 2008, chip prices were up 5.5% during the second quarter, according to the firm. Consequently, global semiconductor revenues were up 8% during the same quarter, even though unit deliveries grew little because of inventory divestment.
Looking ahead, PC and mobile phone manufacturers are upbeat about second-half prospects. Their enthusiasm is evident in the 12% jump in semiconductor bookings during the second quarter. As a result, Henderson has forecast a relatively optimistic 8.9% increase for shipments this year, after a meager 3.2% gain in 2007.
But the spreading global economic slump will undercut 2009 consumer spending for PCs and cellphones, the firm adds. Unit semiconductor growth will suffer, but the plunge in 2008 investment spending will keep chip prices from cratering. Consequently, 2009 revenues are predicted to increase 7.2%. An economic revival is forecast to spur a 14.5% jump in chip sales in 2010.
SAN JOSE – Worldwide sales of semiconductors grew 7.6% year-on-year in July.
Sales were up 2.8% sequentially, to $22.2 billion. Year-to-date sales are up 5%, rebuffing fears of a market recession.
SIA President George Scalise cited demand for consumer electronics, PCs and cellphones – which account for about 80% of chip demand. LCD TV units are projected to increase 32% this year, and digital set-top boxes and digital still cameras 20%, PC unit growth 13%, and cellphones over 10%, he noted.
"We are enjoying the benefits of the strong 3.3% second quarter GDP growth in the US, and continued strength in world markets."
Overall capacity utilization was 89% – with leading edge above 95%.
SIA reported that sales of DRAMs and NAND flash memory continued to decline as a result of continuing price erosion. “Total semiconductor sales excluding memory products increased by 11.6% year-on-year and by 3.2% sequentially,” said Scalise. “The memory content of typical PCs and cell phones continues to increase. According to Micron Technology, the DRAM bit content of the average PC in 2008 will increase 56%, while the NAND flash content for the average cellphone will grow by 178%," Scalise concluded.
SCHAUMBURG, IL – Marc Chason, founding partner of Quantum Solar Group, will speak at the iNEMI Sustainability Summit.
Chason will address technologies for providing lighting and energy generation that reduce energy requirements in the entire lifecycle of electronics.
The summit will be held Sept. 22-23 in Schaumburg, IL.
The Quantum Solar Group finds market niches and provides technology market data and roadmaps in the solar photovoltaic space suitable for PWB fabricators, EMS and SMT organizations and their suppliers.
TAIWAN–The North
American market experienced a larger shipment growth for flexible PCBs over
rigid PCBs, according to a recent report from IPC, and according to DigiTimes, the
trend is extending into Taiwan. Unimicron Technology and Compeq Manufacturing
are predicting sales of handset PCBs to increase, and HannStar Board showed
record July sales for notebook PCBs. HannStar expects September sales to
continue to climb. Due to the high demand for the Apple’s Smartphone and High
Tech Computer (HTC), industry insiders are predicting FPCB sales in Taiwan to
see anywhere from 15% to 50% third-quarter sequential growth.
Not everyone is seeing a climb, though. Because of
lackluster shipment volumes for notebook PCBs, Gold Circuit Electronics had to
adjust their third-quarter sales target from 20%-25% down to 10%-15%.
TAIWAN – Foxconn International’s first-half net profit was $142.2 million, down 56% year-over-year, as a result of higher operating costs, product changes and increased investment spending.
The cellphone maker reported its first-half revenue rose to $4.79 billion, up 4.4% compared to the year-ago period.
Foxconn previously predicted it gross profit margin would fall this year because of a price war, higher costs and corporate taxes.
The company is building a massive campus outside of Juarez, Mexico, that will come online in 2009.
