Samsung semiconductor workers are increasingly applying for jobs at SK Hynix, drawn by the rival’s higher bonuses. One engineer, Lee, shared tips with colleagues on how to draft a strong personal statement for SK Hynix. His boss even encouraged him to leave. 'My team lead tells us all to jump ship to SK Hynix,' Lee said. The move is fueled by SK Hynix’s record profits from high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which power Nvidia’s AI accelerators. The company’s bonuses, which are mostly cash, dwarf what Samsung workers are set to receive. Samsung’s foundry division, which makes logic chips, is offering about $135,000 in bonuses, while its memory division is giving roughly $400,000. Samsung declined to comment, and SK Hynix did not respond to requests for comment.
Samsung’s labor union reported that 81.5% of foundry division employees and nearly half of semiconductor division workers want to switch companies within two years. In April, union chief Choi Seung-ho said over 200 members had left for SK Hynix in the past four months. On Blind, an anonymous workplace forum, engineers at Samsung express frustration over their bonuses and desire to defect to SK Hynix. The exodus is part of a broader talent war as both companies invest heavily in HBM chips. Samsung and SK Hynix are both aiming to dominate the next generation of HBM chips, which are crucial for AI.
SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung in the HBM market and briefly became South Korea’s most valuable company in June. Both firms are investing over $2 trillion by 2040, including a semiconductor 'mega-cluster' in Yongin. SK Hynix plans to double its manufacturing capacity in five years, while Samsung aims to hire 60,000 workers over the next five years. Despite these efforts, a shortage of about 54,000 workers is expected by 2031. The competition for talent is intensifying, with SK Hynix using big bonuses to attract Samsung engineers.
Source: mittr
