Apple suppliers Foxconn, TSMC to each add 5,000 jobs
Two of Apple's top suppliers are reportedly adding staff in apparent anticipation of an uptick in demand for their services.
TSMC, which manufactures Apple's custom A-series chips, and Hon Hai Precision, parent company of Foxconn and longtime Apple manufacturing partner, will add 5,000 new jobs each, Reuters reported on Monday, citing the Taiwanese Economic Daily. The two companies have apparently begun posting recruitment notices at events designed for graduating Taiwanese university students.
For Hon Hai, the new hiring surge is the largest of its kind in recent years. Hon Hai will reportedly be hiring largely research and development personnel. Those workers will head into automated production, e-commerce, and robots. TSMC, meanwhile, is recruiting largely for equipment managers.
The new hiring may indicate that Apple and its suppliers are gearing up for a new wave of Apple products. Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that Apple's product line was "chock full of incredible stuff," though Cook declined to go into specifics on what consumers could expect.
Cook also cautioned against reading too much into any Apple supply chain happenings. The company, Cook said, sources its materials from a wide range of suppliers, so looking to any one or two particular suppliers is unlikely to give true insight as to Apple's plans or fortunes.
Monday's report seems to fly in the face of other reports from analysts that "channel checks" showed Apple suppliers suffering through a rough February. CNN relayed on Monday Topeka Capital analyst Brian White's findings, which saw a 31 percent decline in sales companies examined by White's "Apple Monitor." Hon Hai, according to White, saw a 25 percent month-over-month drop in sales for February.
TSMC, which manufactures Apple's custom A-series chips, and Hon Hai Precision, parent company of Foxconn and longtime Apple manufacturing partner, will add 5,000 new jobs each, Reuters reported on Monday, citing the Taiwanese Economic Daily. The two companies have apparently begun posting recruitment notices at events designed for graduating Taiwanese university students.
For Hon Hai, the new hiring surge is the largest of its kind in recent years. Hon Hai will reportedly be hiring largely research and development personnel. Those workers will head into automated production, e-commerce, and robots. TSMC, meanwhile, is recruiting largely for equipment managers.
The new hiring may indicate that Apple and its suppliers are gearing up for a new wave of Apple products. Apple CEO Tim Cook said earlier this year that Apple's product line was "chock full of incredible stuff," though Cook declined to go into specifics on what consumers could expect.
Cook also cautioned against reading too much into any Apple supply chain happenings. The company, Cook said, sources its materials from a wide range of suppliers, so looking to any one or two particular suppliers is unlikely to give true insight as to Apple's plans or fortunes.
Monday's report seems to fly in the face of other reports from analysts that "channel checks" showed Apple suppliers suffering through a rough February. CNN relayed on Monday Topeka Capital analyst Brian White's findings, which saw a 31 percent decline in sales companies examined by White's "Apple Monitor." Hon Hai, according to White, saw a 25 percent month-over-month drop in sales for February.
Comments
Soooo ... "Apple Fails To Anticipate Demand" and stock plummets. (sorry ... just trying to help out the "reporters" who struggle so much with news these days...)
5,000 slaves, you mean¡
Apple Is Evil™ (a fully-owned subsidiary of Apple Is Doomed™)
Actually, I vote for "Apple productivity declines due to new work rules. Added personal cuts into margins." /s
"Suppliers add 10,000 jobs as Apple set to post record sales and profits"
Stock plummets to $200.
I didn't know TSMC was already building A-series chips for Apple either.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/tsmc-anticipates-big-orders-is-apple-one-of-them/
Also, it's been know for awhile that Apple is pushing Foxconn to increase the automation of their assembly lines, reducing their reliance on paid laborers. (There are no overtime or living condition restrictions on robots.) The article correctly indicated that, but this hiring isn't an indication of new products, it's just a precursor to the eventual automation of Apple's assembly lines.
You're right. Sorry - old habits die hard.
Hooray!! More manufacturing jobs
in China!!!
Originally Posted by tooltalk
Hooray!! More manufacturing jobs in China!!!
Given the choice I'd rather the trolls shut up about Apple "not being able to build things" than Apple "capturing slaves".