Foxconn employees now getting 30% pay raise, and direct percentage of Apple sales

Fresh on the heels of a recent spate of suicides, it seems that Foxconn and Apple are determined to make the workers of the sprawling Shenzhen complex a bit happier. Generally speaking, if you're looking to brighten somebody's day, paying them more money is a great start.

Apparently, the focus groups and deep investigations have led Hon Hai Precision Industry to the same conclusion, because Foxconn employees are now getting a 30% raise. The raise, which is already in effect, will bring their monthly income from the equivalent of about $131.77 up to $171.30 (USD). Foxconn management was originally going to raise the employees' salary by 20%, but it seems they're more committed to really good PR than anybody gave them credit for.

But that's not even the half of it. Rumor now has it that Steve Jobs is going to release between 1% and 2% of total sales of all Apple products manufactured at Foxconn to the workers who built them. This profit-sharing is supposedly starting with the iPad, which has already sold over 2 million units in less than 2 months. Even at 1%, that amounts to several million dollars heading back to Shenzhen and straight into the employees' pockets. That is, if the rumors turn out to be true.

On that note, where can I get a job application for the Apple section at Foxconn?

Tags: Apple, China, Dell, Foxconn, Hewlett-Packard, HP, iPad, iPhone, news