Henan residents eager to work for Foxconn
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The electronic giant Foxconn, which recently made headlines after several employees committed suicide, has opened a new plant in Central China's Henan Province and recruiters are not having any problems filling jobs.
The new plant has triggered job-hopping among the local workforce and existing local businesses are feeling pressure to raise salaries and improve benefits to compete with Foxconn, the Xinhua News Agency reported Monday.
The massive response to the recruitment drive in the capital city Zhengzhou suggests the public is not worried about the risks of being a Foxconn worker and about allegations the managerial style of the company is stressful to workers.
"Some employees have asked to quit. We are considering raising the salary, improving welfare and other benefits to keep them," an unidentified manager from a frozen food processor, told the news agency.
Foxconn is a unit of Taiwan electronics giant Hon Hai. In late July, it moved some of its manufacturing operations inland to Chengdu and Zhengzhou in the wake of the widely reported suicides. Both cities are known for their manpower availability.
A fifth of Foxconn's 800,000 workers in China are Henan natives, according to the report.
The recruitment began about a week before the first production line began operation at the new plant in Zhengzhou August 2.
A member of Zhengzhou's recruiting team, who asked not to be identified, told the Global Times Monday they have a four-day recruitment drive every week at the local job market and the new plant is expected to hire 150,000 people.
Xu Juncai, director of Henan provincial talent exchange center, told Xinhua "there are always a houseful of job seekers" and sometimes "the queue stretches about 1 kilometer." The ratio of job seekers and job vacancy is reportedly 30:1.
Compared to other enterprises, Foxconn reportedly offers a competitive package and a starting salary of 1,200 yuan ($176) a month, 400 ($58) yuan higher than the current local standard, the report said.
A local employee surnamed Deng, who works for a local clothing company, expressed his eagerness to work for Foxconn. "The company offers a better salary and a chance to be promoted to managerial staff," Deng said.
Hui Qingzhong from Zhengzhou Huaixing electronic plant said Foxconn appeals mostly to fresh college graduates and they do not expect a serious threat.
"When it comes to experienced managerial staff, their offer is not that advantageous," Hui said.
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