The Taiwanese company Foxconn, Apple's largest electronics manufacturing partner, has announced a major hiring drive at its Zhengzhou plant in China. According to Businesskorea, the company plans to recruit around 50,000 new workers to handle the production volume for the iPhone 16, which is scheduled for the second half of this year.

This move is linked to Apple’s ambitious goal of shipping 90 million iPhone 16 units by the end of the year, a 10% increase compared to the previous year. To attract staff, Foxconn has offered to raise the hourly wage to 25 yuan and provide bonuses up to 7,500 yuan, which is significantly higher than previous offers. The Zhengzhou plant is Foxconn’s largest production base for iPhones, and this action highlights the company’s commitment to supporting Apple’s growing supply targets.

Apple’s sales in the Chinese smartphone market fell by 19.1% in the first quarter of this year, which has likely put additional pressure on both Apple and Foxconn to ensure a successful launch and high sales volume for the iPhone 16.

"Historically, Foxconn has faced intense scrutiny regarding labor conditions at its Chinese factories. The current efforts to hire staff and increase wages can be seen as a response to past controversies and an attempt to attract and retain a large workforce to meet production needs," writes Businesskorea.