Wisconsin says Foxconn factory touted by Trump has failed to deliver on jobs

Officials in Wisconsin on Monday informed Foxconn, the Taiwan-based company that pledged to create 13,000 jobs across the state, that it has missed employment targets necessary for being approved for state tax credits for the second year in a row.

Reuters reported that Wisconsin officials informed Foxconn representatives in a letter that the company did not employ enough full-time employees in 2019 at its Mount Pleasant facility to be eligible for the credits.

“Once Foxconn is able to provide more accurate details of the proposed project, such as its size, scope, anticipated capital investment, and job creation, WEDC [Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation] would be able to offer support for the project with tax incentives,” wrote a state official, according to Reuters.

Foxconn responded to the news outlet, calling Wisconsin’s statement a “disappointment and a surprise that threatens good faith negotiations” with state officials in the future.

President Trump, who had trumpeted the factory’s initial announcement in 2017, personally intervened and spoke with the company’s chairman in early 2019 after Foxconn said it was rethinking plans to build the factory.

The company later announced that it would go forward with the facility’s development as planned, but it has failed to create as many jobs as it originally promised.

“We have undertaken the evaluation while simultaneously seeking to broaden our investment across Wisconsin far beyond our original plans to ensure the company, our workforce, the local community, and the state of Wisconsin will be positioned for long-term success,” the company said at the time, prompting a tweet from Trump.

“Great news on Foxconn in Wisconsin after my conversation with Terry Gou!” the president wrote. 

Great news on Foxconn in Wisconsin after my conversation with Terry Gou! https://t.co/2wtuCdl7TX

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 1, 2019