FOXCONN, assembler of Apple Inc.’s iPhones, said Tuesday it will need to recruit for more than 50,000 positions across its China campuses for the January-March quarter.

The world’s largest contract manufacturer, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., said in a stock exchange filing that changes in employee numbers were part of its usual adjustments based on global strategy and clients’ needs.

“The group still has recruiting needs of more than 50,000 in parts of the factories in China in the first quarter of 2019,” Foxconn said.

Last week, the Nikkei reported that Foxconn had let go around 50,000 contract workers in China since October, months earlier than normal.

“Efforts are in progress to recruit new hands,” the company said when asked whether it was actively hiring.

Foxconn, which sources said makes roughly half its revenue from Apple, reported an 8-percent fall in December sales earlier this month.(SD-Agencies)