Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDAQ: SINA) recently reported that Shanghai Pegatron, known as Apple’s second largest foundry (after Foxconn), issued an announcement on October 15th that it would suspend recruitment. Pegatron has always been the main force in manufacturing iPhone Plus models. The reporter visited Pegatron’s Shanghai Apple factory in person, and the recruitment interview office was empty. The security guard at the factory gate explained, “The factory is not that busy right now, and recruitment has stopped.” According to sources, Apple cut 70 percent and 90 percent respectively of the orders from two of its suppliers in China. At the same time Apple asked at least one component supplier to stop production immediately. The recent sharp reduction in working hours has caused dissatisfaction among many employees, since their income has been reduced substantially and they can only get a base salary. As the largest iPhone OEM, Zhengzhou Foxconn accounts for half of the world’s iPhone assembly work. Foxconn also lowered the company’s performance forecast for the fourth quarter, due to the Zero Covid government policy. Apple has been spreading its supply chain around the world to manage risk. This year, the number of factories from the United States and South Korea increased significantly. In particular, the number of American suppliers has increased from 54 to 85.
Source: Sina, November 15, 2022
https://finance.sina.cn/tech/csj/2022-11-15/detail-imqqsmrp6279086.d.html