Apple Supplier Foxconn Hiring More Workers as iPhone 14 Launch Nears

Apple supplier Foxconn has started hiring hordes of new trainees and assembly line workers for its premier iPhone assembly plant in Zhengzhou, China, as the launch of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 14 lineup draws closer — reports the South China Morning Post.

Foxconn, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics, is offering a bonus of 9,000 yuan ($1,342 USD) to each new employee when they stay with the company for four months after enrolment.

The company is also offering former Zhengzhou employees the same salary they had before departing, plus a 9,500 yuan ($1,416 USD) bonus when they complete 120 days on the job.

Foxconn’s integrated Digital Product Business Group, which heads iPhone production, published a recruitment notice on Monday outlining the new bonuses.

Foxconn last month froze hiring at the Zhengzhou plant due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Hiring more labour at the factory will aid the Apple supplier make up for the production and development loss caused by recent COVID-19-related closures in China.

Often referred to as “iPhone City,” Zhengzhou is home to the largest iPhone factory in the world. The Foxconn facility, located in the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone, typically produces 60-80% of the world’s iPhones.

A summer hiring spree at Foxconn’s flagship factory is an annual occurrence, signalling an impending production ramp for the iPhone(s) of the year. A Monday report indicated suppliers have already started shipping iPhone 14 components. Apple’s iPhone 14 lineup is pegged for a launch later this year in September.

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant’s supply and production pipelines have taken significant hits over the past few months due to COVID-19 lockdowns in China. Consequently, Apple is urging suppliers to diversify production beyond China and into other Southeast Asian countries.