A new report into iPhone manufacturer Foxconn’s operations in China claims it is still using more temporary staff than the law allows — but also that the Chinese efforts are losing out to India.
Crowds of workers at the end of their Foxconn shift in Zhengzhou — image credit: Gilles Sabrie for Le Monde
Crowds of workers at the end of their Foxconn shift in Zhengzhou — image credit: Gilles Sabrie for Le Monde
Apple launches its new iPhones every September — although that may be changing — and consequently manufacturers are at their busiest in the summer. Without fail, Foxconn has for years hired very many temporary staff, such as 50,000 more in August 2024 for the iPhone 16 range.
Once the iPhones have launched and demand has been met, Foxconn lets those workers go. As Le Monde describes in a new report, it makes iPhone assembly seasonal work.