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The Semiconductor
Manufacturing Industry
 In considering a career in semiconductor manufacturing, you
should know that the industry is cyclical. This means that periods of
rapid growth can be followed by a contraction. As an illustration, between 1992
and 1996, the US semiconductor industry increased by 43,000 jobs and more than
one fifth of these new positions were generated by Silicon Valley firms. However,
the recent economic down turn in Asia, has ended this period of expansion and
changed the nature of the semiconductor job market.
Yet, virtually all industry experts agree that the long
term outlook is one of continued growth. This is the case for three reasons:
- Semiconductors are used in more and more products such
as automobiles, cell phones, computers, fax machines, microwaves, printers,
satellites, x-ray machines, hearing aides and stereos
- The market for semiconductors continues to expand as
technology use and applications increase in Europe, China, Taiwan and other
parts of the world
- Continuous technology improvements mean that many consumers
will continue to invest in the latest upgrades and applications
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