Apple Supplier Foxconn Begins Annual Hiring Spree Ahead of iPhone 12 Launch: REPORT

Key Apple supplier Foxconn is said to have started its annual recruitment drive for factory workers to produce next-generation iPhone models ahead of their launch this fall.

Even though Apple isn’t now expected to ship any new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro handsets until October, Foxconn still needs to get its ducks in a row in plenty of time. Foxconn will be trusted with assembling millions of iPhones before they’re ready to hit stores around the globe. And for that, it needs bodies.

According to a new report by MacRumors, Chinese Foxconn factories are now bringing in new people to help deal with the increased workload. The company is also said to be offering up to a 9,000 yuan bonus for those who are recruited.

The article adds that it’s unclear exactly how many people will be hired by the Taiwan-based contractor. The number of employees at Foxconn factories in Zhengzhou varies greatly, from perhaps tens of thousands in the off-season to as many as a million employees in the peak season.

It is typical of Foxconn to go on a hiring spree before a new iPhone mass production is scheduled to begin. The company requires the additional workforce to meet the seasonal spike in demand that’s usually associated with a new iPhone launch. The company usually hires these employees until the end of the year before letting them go as the iPhone demand stabilizes.

Apple is expected to announce two iPhone 12 and two iPhone 12 Pro handsets in October. The usual September release window isn’t feasible in 2020, likely thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on Apple’s supply chain. Apple CFO Luca Maestri confirmed that IPhones will be ready “a few weeks later” than the usual September window during a recent earnings call.