The employment index is expected to soften in the next six months, compared with the second half of this year, the poll showed. Manufacturers also have a dim view about profit margins next year, with the profit measure dropping from 37.5 to 36, it showed. A recovery from a downturn induced by virus restrictions should sustain local service providers through next year, CIER researcher Chen Shin-hui (陳馨蕙) said. Taiwan’s loosening of COVID-19 controls raised the non-manufacturing business index by 9.4 points to 52.4 in the second half of this year, Chen said. Despite business improvement, service providers said that profit margin is expected to stay in contraction at 47.2 due to mounting operating and personnel costs, the survey showed.
