(Yicai) Aug. 9 -- Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, has begun a new round of recruitment at the Chinese Apple supplier's factory in Zhengzhou, the largest iPhone assembly plant in the world, as the release of the latest series approaches.

Foxconn will offer a rebate of up to CNY7,500 (USD1,045), a one-time subsidy of CNY500 (USD69.70), and an hourly wage of between CNY23.50 and CNY26 (USD3.30 and USD3.60) to temporary employees recruited for the production of the iPhone 16 series, according to a job listing the Zhengzhou factory released yesterday.

US tech giant Apple releases its next-generation iPhone series in September each year, with the period until December being Foxconn's peak production season.

Due to the significant seasonal fluctuations in iPhone production orders, Foxconn typically recruits temporary workers through a rebate scheme to meet demand during the peak season. Unlike standard hourly workers, temporary staff must work at the firm for a certain period to qualify for the rebate while receiving a monthly base salary and overtime pay.

Production orders for the iPhone 16 series will likely reach around 87 million units in the second half of this year, lower than the 91 million iPhone 15 ordered last year, said Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities.

With Foxconn setting up factories in India and Vietnam recently, there have been ongoing market rumors that the Taipei-based company will move its supply chain away from China.

Some base iPhone models and other hardware parts can be made in India, but premium models, including the Pro and Pro Max, will be produced in China, Dan Ives, an analyst at leading advisory firm Wedbush Securities, recently told Yicai.

In addition, Foxconn continues to increase its investment in the Chinese mainland. In July, it said it will spend CNY1 billion (USD139.5 million) to build a new headquarters in Zhengzhou to support new business development, including electric vehicles, digital health, and robotics.

Editor: Martin Kadiev