TAIPEI, TAIWAN: TSMC, the world's largest contract chip maker, said on Thursday it would hire more than 2,400 regular employees, the equivalent of about 10 per cent of its global workforce, this year partially to replace some contract workers.

The announcement, in a brief statement, came a day after TSMC posted strong February sales as demand gathered speed for personal computers and other high-tech gadgets that require microchips.

The statement did not say where the jobs would be created.

In Taipei, TSMC shares closed unchanged on Thursday, while the main TAIEX share index .TWII lost 0.38 per cent.