MacBook Refresh Causes Labor Shortages in China – Report

Sources in Apple’s upstream supply chain are informing DigiTimes that upstream supply chain players are facing labor shortages because of strong orders from Apple, as the company is preparing to unveil new MacBooks.

Some supply chain makers are even outsourcing their orders to meet Apple’s imposed deadlines, according to sources from the upstream supply chain talking to the Taiwanese publication.

Although such shortages have never been a major problem for the May-June timeframe each year, “the strong orders from Apple's new MacBook are leaving many upstream makers unable to satisfy demand,” according to the report.

The new chassis for the new laptops began to ship in April. Apple then upped the ante in May and the manufacturers are now expecting another spike in June, “with the new MacBooks possibly to launch in July,” the sources said.