Foxconn Says Current Hiring Freeze Due to Strong Returning Workforce, Not Waning iPhone 5 Demand

[MacRumors]

Financial Times reported earlier today that Foxconn has enacted a hiring freeze at most of its Chinese facilities due to reduced demand for the iPhone 5.

"Currently, none of the plants in mainland China have hiring plans," said Liu Kun, a company spokesman at Foxconn's largest manufacturing facility, in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen across the border from Hong Kong.

Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5.

Recruiters specifically pointed to hiring freezes at Foxconn's massive facilities in Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, and Chengdu, all of which focus on assembly of iPhones and iPads.

An expectation of hiring picking up again in late March would be in line with rumors of Apple beginning to ramp up production of the iPhone 5S, but a Foxconn spokesman told Bloomberg that the current hiring freeze actually has nothing to do with waning demand for Apple products.

Foxconn halted recruitment until the end of March after more employees returned from the Chinese New Year break than a year earlier, Bruce Liu, a spokesman for the Taipei-based company, said today in a phone interview. The decision wasn't related to iPhone 5 production, he said.

The Chinese New Year festivities last for several weeks, with many factories running at greatly reduced capacity as workers return to their homes. The offical two-week festivities conclude with the annual Lantern Festival, which takes place this Sunday, February 24.

Article Link: Foxconn Says Current Hiring Freeze Due to Strong Returning Workforce, Not Waning iPhone 5 Demand

[phillipduran]

I'm sure it's a comfy job there now (compared to other jobs in the region) now that the worlds eyes are focused on the plants.

[Eadfrith]

Reach for those negative Apple/iPhone stories lol

[spyguy10709]

and YET - CNBC still reports it as due to the iPhone 5 sales. I swear to god CNBC has been so anti-apple since it hit 700, it's not even funny. It's like there's a force driving bad news to bring down the stock price.

(Practical reason? SOMEONE [maybe even apple itself!] is going to place a HUGE order at a low amount.)

[street.cory]

I'm curious to see if lower demand of the iPhone 6 months after release date will lead Apple to a quicker product release cycle.

[Compile 'em all]

Analysts, the worst thing to happen to online journalism.

[ozziegn]

Foxconn probably forced that factory worker to pose with the smile on her face, or she'd lose her job. lol

[iGrip]

I believe Foxconn!

The hiring freeze has nothing to do with reduced demand for the iPhone 5. That would be way too hard to accept. So I will believe Foxconn.

[angrynstupid]

Must be a lot of shorts at the Financial Times.

[TimUSCA]

Originally Posted by spyguy10709

and YET - CNBC still reports it as due to the iPhone 5 sales. I swear to god CNBC has been so anti-apple since it hit 700, it's not even funny. It's like there's a force driving bad news to bring down the stock price.

(Practical reason? SOMEONE [maybe even apple itself!] is going to place a HUGE order at a low amount.)

Maybe the CEO just really wants an iPhone 6, so he's manipulating things to speed up Apple's product cycle.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by iGrip

I believe Foxconn!

The hiring freeze has nothing to do with reduced demand for the iPhone 5. That would be way too hard to accept. So I will believe Foxconn.

Because the Financial Times is more reliable?

If there was any truth to the FT story Foxconn would most likely have said "we don't comment on blah blab blah".

[applesith]

Where's the apple slamming? Shouldn't it be reported that apple forces workers to come back from vacation?

[lamerica80]

The girl in the picture is happy because its her 12th birthday.

[GermanyChris]

Yea low demand never leads to hiring freezes

yuppers..just returning workers yup..

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Yea low demand never leads to hiring freezes

yuppers..just returning workers yup..

Where's the evidence of low demand?

[psac]

She's cute.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

Where's the evidence of low demand?

Where is the evidence it's returning workers especially in light of:

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

but please keep believing that iOS is magical and everyone is clamoring to get one. Please believe people that have vested interest in FOXCONN as a company and Apple as a company..

[macs4nw]

Hi cuteeee, Please don't scratch my iPhone.....

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Where is the evidence it's returning workers especially in light of:

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

but please keep believing that iOS is magical and everyone is clamoring to get one. Please believe people that have vested interest in FOXCONN as a company and Apple as a company..

When did I say anything about iOS? Foxconn has DENIED this has anything to do with iPhone 5. Why should we believe FT over Foxconn? Especially when media FUD around Apple is quite typical?

[Darth.Titan]

Originally Posted by ozziegn

Foxconn probably forced that factory worker to pose with the smile on her face, or she'd lose her job. lol

Originally Posted by lamerica80

The girl in the picture is happy because its her 12th birthday.

Originally Posted by psac

She's cute.

Originally Posted by macs4nw

Hi cuteeee, Please don't scratch my iPhone.....

What, does no one remember iPhone Girl?

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

When did I say anything about iOS? Foxconn has DENIED this has anything to do with iPhone 5. Why should we believe FT over Foxconn? Especially when media FUD around Apple is quite typical?

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

The PR mouth at Foxconn that works for the president of the company (most likley) who has a vested interest in said company denies..

Last I check the iPhone was an iOS device

[Nunyabinez]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

The PR mouth at Foxconn that works for the president of the company (most likley) who has a vested interest in said company denies..

Last I check the iPhone was an iOS device

That is not a direct quote from Foxconn and we have no idea how much editorializing is in that paragraph.

[paradox00]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

The PR mouth at Foxconn that works for the president of the company (most likley) who has a vested interest in said company denies..

Last I check the iPhone was an iOS device

said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March

This is the important part. That's probably the extent of factual information they received, the rest could be speculation on the sources or the Financial Times part. No way to know for sure.

[JAT]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

Where is the evidence it's returning workers especially in light of:

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

but please keep believing that iOS is magical and everyone is clamoring to get one. Please believe people that have vested interest in FOXCONN as a company and Apple as a company..

Of course. I'm sure a guy from (assuming) Germany, and CNN shills, know more about Foxconn employees than Foxconn brass. That's patently obvious.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by GermanyChris

"Human resources officials at Foxconn's largest factories, local government officials and external recruiters working with the company said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday to halt hiring until at least the end of March, in response to reduced orders for the iPhone 5"

The PR mouth at Foxconn that works for the president of the company (most likley) who has a vested interest in said company denies..

Last I check the iPhone was an iOS device

So we're supposed to believe unnamed sources in an FT piece over an official Foxconn spokesperson? Why is the automatic assumption to always assume FUD about Apple is reality?