Foxconn has reached its recruitment goals ahead of schedule and now has enough workers to meet "seasonal demand" at all of its Chinese plants, according to a statement released Sunday that was shared by Nikkei.
Foxconn is one of Apple's main suppliers, and the hiring information suggests Foxconn's factories will be adequately prepared for the launch of Apple's fall 2020 iPhones.
The factories of many Apple suppliers located in China were shut down for much of February, delaying device production. After reopening, there were staffing shortages related to quarantines and travel restrictions, resulting in factories unable to operate at peak capacity.
Foxconn said early this month that it expected to resume normal production by the end of March, and has successfully met that goal ahead of its deadline. Foxconn says that it is steadily recovering from labor shortages.
It's been unclear how the current world situation might impact the iPhone 12, with some information suggesting travel restrictions could cause delays due to an inability for Apple's engineers to travel to China to perfect the assembly process, but recent details shared by Bloomberg suggest the iPhone 12 is still on track to launch this fall.
Foxconn says that it has implemented "rigorous measures" to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for its staff, offering virus tests to more than 55,000 workers, and chest x-rays for another 40,000. Foxconn is expected to hit its peak production period in July to prepare for the launch of the new iPhones.
Apple in fall 2020 is expected to launch up to four new iPhone 12 models equipped with features that include 5G, triple-lens camera setups with 3D functionality, A14 chips, and more, with full details available in our iPhone 12 roundup.
