Foxconn, Following Suicide Crisis, To Hire 400,000 Workers

Foxconn, the Taiwanese maker of Apples hottest mobile devices, plans to hire as many as 400,000 workers in the next year.

Youd probably never heard of Foxconn until a number of worker suicides made the news earlier this year. But its a well-known company in Asia, manufacturing hot devices like the iPhone and the iPad for Apple.

Hiring this many more people is expected to help cut into overtime costs while maintaining productivity.

Thirteen workers have jumped to their deaths in the past year, raising concerns about conditions that have led to employees being overworked and mistreated. The company recently raised wages to offset the employees needs for OT in order to support their families. Foxconn also hired counsellors and put up safety nets to discourage potential jumpers.

Meantime, thousands of young Foxconn workers packed a stadium in Shenzhen, China, Wednesday for a pep rally of sorts, in an attempt to put the spate of suicides behind them. The facility in Shenzhen already employs 300,000 people and is home to most of the Foxconn suicides.