Foxconn Hires 50,000 More Workers as Apple Boosts iPhone 16 Production

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Apple has ramped up iPhone 16 production in expectation of high demand, leading Foxconn to hire 50,000 new workers in just two weeks, BusinessKorea reports.

iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature
Apple apparently decided to boost production by 10% this year, aiming for a total output of 90 million ‌iPhone 16‌ models, in expectation of strong sales. The company has intensified production efforts with its primary manufacturing partner, Foxconn, in Zhengzhou, China. The factory, known as the world's largest iPhone production base, is now operating at full capacity, having brought in 50,000 additional workers within the last two weeks.

Foxconn's Zhengzhou facility is central to Apple's global supply chain, responsible for approximately 80% of the company's ‌iPhone‌ production. As the peak season for ‌iPhone‌ production typically begins in August and extends through December, Foxconn's recruitment drive is crucial in meeting the increased output required during this period. Local media outlets have reported that Foxconn has significantly raised wages and bonuses to attract the necessary labor force. In late July, the company advertised an increased hourly wage of up to 25 yuan and raised the hiring bonus from 6,000 yuan to 7,500 yuan as of August.

Apple is also reportedly planning to produce a larger variety of iPhone models in India starting with the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup. The new devices are expected to launch next month.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro
Tags: BusinessKorea, Foxconn
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16 (Neutral), iPhone 16 Pro (Neutral)

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Top Rated Comments

jacobgkau Avatar
jacobgkau
9 months ago

an increased hourly wage of up to 25 yuan
That's about $3.49/hour USD, in case you're wondering like I was.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MilaM Avatar
MilaM
9 months ago
Ah, the mythical mega upgrade cycle. This year it will happen for real ?.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EugW Avatar
EugW
9 months ago

And this is why companies manufacture products everyplace besides the U.S.
That's one factor, but it's actually a secondary factor. By Asian standards, Foxconn's labour costs in China are actually on the high side. Labour is considerably cheaper in places like India and Vietnam, etc.

The even bigger factor at play here is the ability to hire 50000 workers in 2 weeks, with the infrastructure to support that. That second part about the infrastructure is part of the reason why it's been so difficult for companies to start similar factories in places like India, despite the massive population. The supply chain is also key. The majority of the parts and components used are also from China.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Karma*Police Avatar
Karma*Police
9 months ago

That's about $3.49/hour USD, in case you're wondering like I was.
You have to keep in mind that the cost of living in China is substantially less, and these workers also don’t have to pay for food or rent.

That’s why many of them have enough money left over to send to their families and jobs like this are a stepping stone to better work/standard of living.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
vegetassj4
9 months ago
They forgot to mention that they hired them to handle all of those extra Vision Pro returns and excess inventory.

:ducks:
?

[Click to view video attachment]
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
sw1tcher
9 months ago


an increased hourly wage of up to 25 yuan
That's about $3.49/hour USD, in case you're wondering like I was.
Also note that it's "up to" 25 yuan meaning not everyone is getting paid that. Some people are getting paid less, such as between 19 and 20 yuan

https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3217551/foxconn-wages-fall-below-us3-hour-shenzhen-apple-shifts-supply-chain-away-china

Foxconn was offering workers in China’s southern tech hub 19 to 20 yuan per hour this week, down from as much as 26 yuan last year

19 yuan = ~$2.65 USD
20 yuan = ~$2.79 USD


If the iPhone 15 Pro has a starting price of $999 and workers are being paid between $2.65 USD per hour and $3.49 USD per hour, how much would an iPhone 15 Pro be if it were assembled in the U.S. where workers are being paid $20 per hour, there's no forced and mandatory over-time and 6 day work weeks, and under less harsh and abusive working conditions?

https://restofworld.org/2023/foxconn-iphone-factory-china/

https://chinalaborwatch.org/investigation-of-an-apple-supplier-chengdu-foxconn-report-in-2023/

Foxconn’s Chengdu factory is one of Apple’s main sourcing sites. Each fall when Apple releases a new line of products, workers labor around the clock to meet impossible production targets. Dispatch workers, or workers who do not directly sign labor contracts with factories but instead are outsourced by labor dispatch companies, make up approximately half of the workforce. The precarious nature of their employment makes them extremely susceptible to abuse. While Apple has gained a reputation for excellent product quality and customer service through its ‘AppleCare’ and ‘Genius Bar’ services, its reputation for labor rights is considerably less stellar. Despite Apple’s claims of having high standards when it comes to corporate social responsibility, year after year, serious labor rights violations occur on the factory floor.

From June to July 2023, CLW sent an investigator to Foxconn’s Chengdu factory to document the working conditions of Apple’s global supply chain. CLW’s investigation discovered that the problems uncovered in 2020 still exist in the factory. To this day, Foxconn Chengdu enforces a large number of illegal labor practices including the excessive use of dispatch workers, mandatory overtime, workplace bullying and harassment, and recruitment discrimination.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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