Stefan Mileschin

Foxconn has allegedly put a recruitment freeze in place across its fleet of factories in China.

According to the Financial Times, the company has made the decision as a result of cutting production for the iPhone 5 as a result of a global weakening demand for Apple products.

Of course Foxconn hasn't had an easy ride when it comes to employment, with an abundance of reports on workplace negligence and even worker suicides.

Most recently it was claimed that 1,000 workers at the company's plant went on strike over poor conditions, while bribery claims for suppliers have also reared their heads.

Following reports of the freezes, Foxconn's HR and PR machine kicked into place with one spokesperson confirming nine of the mainland China plants had hiring plants, while other sources said there had been internal notices on Tuesday and Wednesday ordering bosses to stop hiring until at least the end of March.

The FT also quoted a source who pointed out that Foxconn's employee demand was on par with the low figures of 2009, driven by the financial crisis.

At this time, the workforce in China was estimated at about 800,000. However, this rose last year to 1.2 million amidst the great fanfare and anticipation for the launch of the iPhone 5.

It is also claimed that although 97 percent of the company’s workers returned to their jobs after the Chinese New Year, three percent did not.

http://news.techeye.net/business/fox...es-job-hirings