Earlier in May, it was reported that Apple supplier Foxconn started hiring workers earlier than usual to assemble iPhone 14 models in its Zhengzhou, China, manufacturing plants. A recent report confirms that the Cupertino tech giant asked its main iPhone assembly partner to initiate its recruitment drive two months ahead of schedule.
Apple asked iPhone supplier Foxconn to ramp up hiring for iPhone 14 production earlier than usual
On May 3, it was reported that Foxconn initiated a large recruitment drive for its factories in Zhengzhou to increase its workforce despite it not being peak production season for the iPhone. However, the recruitment drive was halted the very next day due to a COVID-19 lockdown in Zhengzhou. It appears now that the assembly partner has started hiring workers for the upcoming iPhone again.
Apple’s assembly partner typically offers a job seeker bonus of RMB 6,500 ($983) to workers who stay for at least 90 days. However, as part of the recruitment drive, that bonus shot up 30% to RMB 8,500 ($1,286) after 90 days.
Sources told UDN that the Cupertino tech giant asked Foxconn to start hiring workers two months ahead of schedule to ensure that the assembly partner is able to maintain its workforce amid increasing COVID-19 lockdowns in China causing a hitch in production for many companies.
The report notes that Apple is currently aiming to start production of the iPhone 14 lineup two months ahead of schedule for 2022 with more than 30 million units expected to be produced during the time period. Foxconn has not stated how many workers it is looking to hire in the new recruitment effort.
While industry reports are increasingly pointing to the fact that Apple is interested in shifting its operations from China to other countries to avoid supply chain disruptions from lockdowns, the company won’t be able to do so anytime soon. In the meantime, the tech giant will have to rely on its Chinese-based partners to assemble the upcoming iPhone 14.
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