Apple's Suppliers Set New High in January With 99% Compliance Rate for Working Hour Limits

Early last year, Apple launched a new initiative to more openly share information on worker rights and safety throughout its supply chain with working hours and mandatory overtime being a major focus of the effort. Apple's code of conduct specifies that workers may generally work no more than 60 hours per week, although the company does permit limited exceptions during periods of high demand.

That pattern was observed over the course of 2012, with Apple's efforts to track over one million employees showing peak compliance with the standard at 97% in July and August before dropping in the September-Novemeber timeframe as Apple launched a number of new products including the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Compliance rebounded in December, and Apple today updated its supplier responsibility pages to note that its supply chain achieved record 99% compliance in the month of January.

The number of workers we track has increased from over 500,000 in January 2012 to over 1 million in January 2013. In January 2013, we achieved 99% compliance to the 60-hour workweek across all employees we track.

working_hours_compliance_jan13
The improvement in compliance comes as Apple appears to be reaching supply-demand balance for a number of its latest products, including the iPad mini and iMac.

Reports have indicated that Apple's major assembly partner Foxconn has reduced its hiring due to a higher-than-usual number of employees returning to the company after the recent Chinese New Year break. Some have suggested that changes to working conditions spurred by Apple may be at least partly responsible for increased worker satisfaction and thus higher retention, although in some cases workers seeking to maximize their income have expressed concern over limits on their working hours.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

TimUSCA Avatar
161 months ago
Over 60 hours. Still teens working there. God damn.

So? I worked 40 hours a week in high school because I wanted to make money. There seems to be this ridiculous mentality that because Chinese people work longer hours than Americans do, it means they're being mistreated. Meanwhile, we're in a major financial crisis in part because too many Americans don't want to work and would rather suck at the government's teet. Maybe a little hard work is a good thing.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
161 months ago
Say what you will about Apple, but this is one of the best things that's happened to the computer industry in a long time. I hope other manufacturers decide to copy Apple's mentality on this issue, rather than just copying their products ;)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krauser Avatar
161 months ago
If only all tech companies could enforce and comply with such regulations. It's a shame that this won't be all over the media like the slew of negative Foxconn stories were.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
161 months ago
In the article and other articles. Still child labor.

I bet you love Samsung huh? No asian workforce there... Or HP.. or HTC... or... and the list goes on. Do you think the computer you're thrashing on was built in the USA or some other western world? Really?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
161 months ago
If only all tech companies could enforce and comply with such regulations. It's a shame that this won't be all over the media like the slew of negative Foxconn stories were.
Yes, I wonder how Apple's competitors are doing? About the following:

* Worker conditions/abuses.

* Publicly reporting those conditions.

* Working to fix them.

* Publicly reporting on how the fixes are going: success or PR vapor?

Anyone but Apple doing well in those areas? Or are they mainly good at sweeping it under the rug (which the media and bloggers will gladly let them do)?

And how about non-tech companies? Clothing and everything else?


So? I worked 40 hours a week in high school because I wanted to make money. There seems to be this ridiculous mentality that because Chinese people work longer hours than Americans do, it means they're being mistreated. Meanwhile, we're in a major financial crisis in part because too many Americans don't want to work and would rather suck at the government's teet. Maybe a little hard work is a good thing.
The abuses that American companies make money from in China are not as simple as "longer hours."

And the financial crisis in America is not as simple as "plenty of jobs but not enough Americans want a job."
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Squilly Avatar
161 months ago
Over 60 hours. Still teens working there. God damn.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)