Apple Suppliers Struggling to Hire Enough Workers Ahead of iPhone 13 Launch

Apple suppliers manufacturing the iPhone 13 models are struggling to hire enough workers ahead of the expected launch of new devices in September, according to the South China Morning Post.

iphone 13 blue with text
In an attempt to attract workers to meet demand for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup, Apple suppliers in China are significantly raising their starter bonuses. Foxconn's factory in Zhengzhou, which is estimated to manufacture around 80 percent of the world's iPhones, has raised its new hires bonus to a record high of 10,200 yuan (U.S. $1,578).

Likewise, Lens Technology has doubled its bonus 5,000 yuan in February to 10,000 yuan in May, while Luxshare Precision's factory in Guangdong has doubled its internal referral bonus from 2,500 yuan in April to 5,000 yuan in May, with a top-up bonus of 3,800 yuan for returning workers who previously left the company.

Over the past three years, Apple has added more new suppliers from mainland China to its vendor list than any other country, but simultaneously the growth of China's labor force has peaked as factory jobs have started to lose their appeal and more workers move out of industrial labor, leading to companies having to lure in workers with more attractive pay packages.

The current aggressive hiring spree seeks to combat increasingly ramped-up production for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 models, which are believed to be on track for launch late next month.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...

Top Rated Comments

Frixos Avatar
49 months ago
It’d be wise to spread the supply chain to other countries. It’s not smart to be so dependent on one country.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ElectricPotato Avatar
49 months ago


...raised its new hires bonus to a record high of 10,200 yuan (U.S. $1,578).
The cost of one high end iPhone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
49 months ago

I guess too many of them jumped off the dormitories. Just remember that the next time you tweet from your iPhone to virtue signal for social brownie points.
Nice fear mongering. You must have reported numbers of workers over the last year to share.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
49 months ago

Tim Cook does not control what suppliers pay their employees.
Yes, he does.

Apple controls what they pay their suppliers and contract manufacturers who in turn pay their employees. If Apple paid them better, they would be able to pay their employees better. But Apple likes to squeeze them to maintain their profits.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-apple-foxconn/apple-foxconn-pledge-to-revamp-worker-conditions-idUKBRE82S19820120329

In a landmark development for the way Western companies do business in China, Apple Inc said on Thursday it had agreed to work with partner Foxconn to tackle wage and working condition violations at the factories that produce its popular products.


It's not as if Apple hasn't done anything in the past to improve wages or work conditions

https://apnews.com/article/a9b3158ff7ac44ebb8469108d8fbe6fc

Foxconn Technology’s promise comes as Beijing is pushing foreign companies to share more of their revenues with Chinese employees. It follows a report by a labor auditor hired by Apple Inc. that found Foxconn was regularly violating legal limits on overtime, with factory employees working more than 60 hours per week.

Foxconn, owned by Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., promised to limit hours while keeping total pay the same, effectively paying more per hour.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sir_Macs_A_Lot Avatar
49 months ago

Apple iPhone slave factories are covid super spreaders!!
I needs me that new iPhone 13...whether they cough on it or not!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andrewxgx Avatar
49 months ago
Say goodbye to 999$ base price for iPhone Pro
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)