Sharp Corp. said Monday it will nearly double the number of new recruits for fiscal 2017 as it begins to rebuild under Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.
The struggling electronics maker plans to hire 290 graduates — 200 university graduates and 90 high school and vocational school graduates. This compares with the 151 it hired in the last round.
The plan was unveiled days after Sharp and Hon Hai signed a takeover deal that will mark the first foreign acquisition of a major Japanese technology company.
Sharp has been reeling from huge losses as its liquid crystal display business struggled in recent years, with many employees leaving the century-old electronics maker.
The latest takeover deal is expected to enable Sharp to invest in growth areas such as organic LED displays and home appliances connected to the Internet.
Sharp said it is seeking "diverse people who have unique ideas and are willing to take on challenges."
Based on available data dating back to fiscal 1981, Sharp recruited more than 2,000 people a year at its peak.