Apple Releases 2022 Supply Chain Progress Report, Launches $50 Million Skills Development Fund - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases 2022 Supply Chain Progress Report, Launches $50 Million Skills Development Fund

Apple today released its 16th annual People and Environment in Our Supply Chain report. Previously known as the Supplier Responsibility report, the document details how Apple and its suppliers are supporting people across the company's supply chain, transitioning to clean energy, and investing in innovative technologies.

apple supplier report imac assembly
Apple also announced a new $50 million Supplier Employee Development Fund that the company said will expand access to learning opportunities and skills development for people across its supply chain. Apple said the fund also includes new and expanded partnerships with rights advocates, universities, and non-profit organizations, including the International Organization for Migration and the International Labor Organization.

Apple said the new educational programming will be initially available to supplier employees in the United States, China, India, and Vietnam. By 2023, Apple said it expects more than 100,000 supplier employees to participate in new learning opportunities, ranging from leadership training and technical certifications to classes on coding, robotics, and advanced manufacturing fundamentals, including green manufacturing.

"We put people first in everything that we do, and we're proud to announce a new commitment to accelerate our progress and provide even more opportunities for people across our supply chain," said Sarah Chandler, Apple's senior director of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation. "Together with rights advocates and education leaders, we are continuing to drive new innovation to support people and the planet."

Popular Stories

apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...
Apple Store Logo

Apple Store in UK Permanently Closing Later This Month

Tuesday November 3, 2026 7:34 am PST by
Apple today announced that its Festival Place store in Basingstoke, England will be permanently closing on Saturday, November 21. Apple Festival Place Apple had already announced that the store would be closing in November, but it had not provided the public with a specific date until now. Apple's store inside the Festival Place shopping center opened in 2011, so it had a 15-year run....
hero medium 2x feature1

Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera

Thursday November 5, 2026 4:22 pm PST by
Apple is sending email surveys to some iPhone Duo buyers to get feedback on display size, crease, under-display camera, and other features. The first question asks why the buyer chose the iPhone Duo now, with answers like "I wanted to try Apple's first foldable," "It was an impulse purchase," and "I expect smartphone prices to increase." Other questions ask about the size of the iPhone...

Top Rated Comments

60 months ago
Did she build my iMac? 🥰 I feel better already.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
60 months ago
It's BS.

If they put people first they would employ them rather than use loopholes to have them provide labor with none of the rights of an employee.

Their revenue per number of employees ratio is completely lopsided.

I get tired of repeating my same story as I have in other threads, but I was put to work for Apple through a disability agency in my state. I was trained by Apple—training I had to pay for. Apple paid nothing into Social Security payroll tax because they have you incorporate yourself as a corporation of one and then subcontract out to your corporation and you are an employee of yourself, despite the fact that you use their systems and work alongside all their other AppleCare employees and contractors. You are the "face" of Apple and yet have no official association with them. At the time I did this there were about 12 large corporations in the US contracted for AppleCare and Apple Sales in the US. All were pitted against each other with impossible metrics. And then those corporations had subcontractors as well. Apple did have its own internal AppleCare employees, as well, who got benefits and had employee rights. But you weren't allowed to transfer from contract status to employee status. In fact you weren't even allowed to talk to Apple. You have no labor rights. It's like you're a carpenter building a deck for someone. Except you use the homeowner's tools, the homeowner tells you how to build the deck, gives you constant feedback, and you work for the homeowner's customers, and there are thousands of you working for the homeowner. In short, it's nothing like building a deck for someone, but they use the labor laws (or lack of them) like it is. I could go on, but I've repeated this ad nauseam so many times.

It's basically Uber but worse because with Uber there is one group of people who at least know what's going on with each other. This is like if Uber secretly had 12 different companies that competed against each other providing the exact same Uber service but with different names so they didn't know they were competing with each other within the same company and each of the 12 companies had even more subcontractors and they were all pitted against each other on price, but despite being 12 different companies it was all Uber service.

I shouldn't write as I'm falling asleep, but I get tired of Apple's BS.

Instead of "investing" $50 million, pay the GD Social Security payroll tax you're avoiding on the non-employees who are doing the *exact* work of employees.

Edit:
The last time one of these reports came out, I let Apple know what I thought. And I got no response.

Their supplier feedback web-site is now a 404:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/supplierresponsibility.html
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
60 months ago

That model is not an assembly worker. Where is the dark skinned worker who looks like they have been working 60 hours and is about to pass out? Apple’s sugar coating in action.
The media has you brain washed. There are some extremely attractive people working on assembly lines.


Obviously it’s not an assembly workers as she isn’t assembling a computer. This is a QA tester. As for the dark skinned thing, did Foxconn move their plant out of China suddenly?
It’s funny you mention that. All “western” factories have forced diversity. Try to find a “minority” in an “eastern“ facility.


It’s all assembled in China, and no one employed there is dark skinned.
Not everything Apple comes from China.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
60 months ago
That model is not an assembly worker. Where is the dark skinned worker who looks like they have been working 60 hours and is about to pass out? Apple’s sugar coating in action.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
60 months ago
Just your average factory worker, in full makeup and designer sweater. Totally normal.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
60 months ago

It’s all assembled in China, and no one employed there is dark skinned.
Last time I checked (it was 2019, when I bought a CTO iMac), Apple had an assembly plant in Ireland. 'Coconut ID' app confirms that my Mac was built there.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
13 minutes ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
18 minutes ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
50 minutes ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
57 minutes ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
2 hours ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
2 hours ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 hours ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 hours ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
4 hours ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
4 hours ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
7 hours ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
17 hours ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
18 hours ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
19 hours ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
19 hours ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
20 hours ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
21 hours ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
23 hours ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
23 hours ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
1 day ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
1 day ago
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
1 day ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
1 day ago
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
1 day ago
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
1 day ago
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
1 day ago
Siri AI Waitlist Now Limited to Times of 'High Demand,' Says Apple
Siri AI Waitlist Now Limited to Times of 'High Demand,' Says Apple
1 day ago
See Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro in Action
See Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro in Action
1 day ago
MacBook Neo Shipments Expected to Double in 2027
MacBook Neo Shipments Expected to Double in 2027
1 day ago
HomeView Code Suggests Future Support for AI Chatbot Apps, Anti-Spoofing Protection
HomeView Code Suggests Future Support for AI Chatbot Apps, Anti-Spoofing Protection
1 day ago