Foxconn has raised the age cap for new recruits at its Zhengzhou factories

Jul 16, 2013 16:26 GMT  ·  By

After confirming a new effort to beef up on workforce, Foxconn has now raised the age requirements for recruitment at its plants in Zhengzhou, China from 18-40 to 23-40.

Market watchers tell DigiTimes that the adjustment is likely meant to correspond to local labor policies, but others also believe the initiative is “meant to accelerate its progress to automation.”

According to the same sources, “Foxconn's plants in Zhengzhou are mainly in charge of manufacturing products for Apple.”

In other words, Foxconn doesn’t want any more trouble assembling Apple’s next-generation iPhones and is actively recruiting older, more experienced personnel.

Foxconn has also been accused of hiring underage workers, so the news will certainly downplay some of these rumors.

Apple has had to struggle with numerous manufacturing defects in the iPhone 5, and may have been in discussions with Foxconn to alleviate these woes.