According to reports from The China Morning News (via MICGadget), Foxconn is in the midst of a huge hiring drive, hoping to increase numbers 20,000 for production of the new iPhone in a place called Taiyuan in Shanxi Province, Northern China.

Foxconn in Tai Yuan is now building a new base for iPhone 5 production. The company is now in need of approximately 20,000 workers.

Mr. Yu, an insider at Tai Yuan Foxconn, says that the company still has tons of openings, especially front-line workers. “As long as they meet the basic standards, (we’ll) take as many as possible.”

Given Apple’s prominent position in the industry, Foxconn has made iPhone production its foremost priority in mainland China. Mr. Yu says that Foxconn gets about 85% of the total order of iPhone 5, which translates into about 57 million units per year.

One reason for heavy and perhaps unforecasted recruitment demand might be a strike that is currently happening at the plant. According to a separate report, workers have left their machines and taken to the streets over compensation. We’re not going to pretend to understand the complexities involved but it would appear that the workers were promised a raise ahead of the next iPhone production and they may not have gotten all that they’ve asked for.

An entry-level worker at Foxconn is typically paid 1,550 yuan (US$245) per month, rising to to 1,800 yuan (US$285) per month after three months. When bonuses and overtime pay are included, a worker may typically earn between 2,200 and 3,500 yuan (US$345-$550) a month.

via [ 9to5mac ]

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