Foxconn Reorganizes Manufacturing, Rallies Workers After Suicide Streak

Foxconn Technology Group, the Taiwan-based contract manufacturer whose customer list includes Apple, Dell, Sony, Nokia, and HP, plans to hire around 400,000 new workers in China to deal with the fast growth of its business

Bloomberg on Wednesday reported that Foxconn plans to hire about 400,000 new workers in China, giving it a total workforce of between 1.2 million and 1.3 million people, in response to a 50-percent growth in revenue in the first half of the year.

About half of Foxconn's current workforce is based in the Chinese province of Shenzhen, which is a popular area for setting up manufacturing facilities due to its proximity to sea and air transport facilities and availability to component manufacturers.

However, Foxconn plans to cut its Shenzhen employee base by about one third over the next five years and do more hiring in inland provinces. About 20 percent of its Chinese workforce comes from Henan Province in eastern China, Bloomberg reported. Foxconn expects a shift towards inland provinces to boost moral by keeping employees closer to their circle of family and friends, Bloomberg said.

Meanwhile, the BBC and other news outlets reported Foxconn held large rallies in China for its employees as part of an effort to boost morale.

The BBC reported that Foxconn expected about 50,000 of its 900,000 employees in China to participate in the rallies, which were held in several of its factories as a way for the company to show its support for its workforce.

The rallies included performances by acrobats, and at some facilities employees dressed in a variety of costumes.