Foxconn May Import Chinese Workers to New Wisconsin Facility: WSJ

Apple supplier Foxconn has debated bringing Chinese workers to its new plant in Racine, Wisconsin, as the company struggles to meet hiring goals in a tight labor market. The Wall Street Journal reports Tuesday that state and local authorities offered $3.764 billion in financial incentives for the company to set up shop in the region, but that the vast majority of that money is contingent upon Foxconn meeting hiring, wage, and investment goals. The Journal notes that the company is currently having trouble delivering on its promise to invest $10 billion into the region and hire 13,000 employees, given that unemployment in the Badger State has hit a record low, and that Wisconsin is far from the tech hubs of Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York City. As a result, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou has reportedly asked some of the company’s engineers in China to move to Racine. “All the technical schools and local universities are gearing up their programs, but I still think Foxconn is going to fall short in terms of finding the people they need,” the owner of a Racine staffing office told the Journal. “They’re going to have to recruit from outside the area.”

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