Apple supplier Foxconn raises bonus for new assembly line workers as iPhone production heats up
- The world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer has increased bonus pay to new workers at its plant in Zhengzhou for a third time in a month
- There has been widespread speculation that Apple’s next 5G handset model, the iPhone 13, is set for a September launch this year
Each new recruit will receive a 7,500 yuan (US$1,158) bonus if they work for 90 days and be on duty for at least 55 days, according to the latest announcement posted by iDPBG on Thursday.
That amount is up from 6,500 yuan offered on April 26 and 6,000 yuan on April 15. It is also more than double the 3,500 yuan bonus offered at the end of March.
“As a matter of company policy and commercial sensitivity, we do not comment on any aspect of our specific operations or any work for any customer,” said Taiwan-based Foxconn in a statement on Friday.
The increased bonus pay for new recruits in Foxconn’s vast Zhengzhou facility, which has as many as 250,000 workers, is seen as an indicator of how the company is ramping up production for iPhones ahead of the usual launch of Apple’s flagship device in the second half of the year.