ASML is preparing to offer its workforce bonuses of €20,000, though the payout is subject to specific conditions that have not yet been fully detailed.
The Dutch semiconductor equipment giant, which holds a near-monopoly on extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, is using the incentive to secure its engineering talent amid a broader industry scramble for skilled labor.
The move underscores the intensifying human capital war in the semiconductor supply chain.
While ASML’s offer is substantial, it follows a more aggressive compensation strategy from rival Samsung Electronics, which recently confirmed it would award performance bonuses of up to 100 percent of base salary to employees in its semiconductor division for the first half of the year.
Samsung’s payout was designed to address internal disparities between its chip arm and device-making divisions, where workers have mobilized against compensation gaps.
For investors, these compensation shifts signal that labor costs and retention risks remain elevated for semiconductor manufacturers and their critical suppliers.