Apple has been working hard to avoid mass layoffs in the midst of the current macroeconomic situation. Despite this, the firm has laid off hundreds of contractors this year. Apple is cutting some roles from its corporate retail teams for the first time since a “belt-tightening effort” last year.
Apple is laying off employees in its retail division.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is laying off employees from its “development and preservation teams.” These groups are in charge of constructing Apple Retail Stores and other facilities associated with the company all over the world. The number of positions being eliminated is described as “very small” in the report, but it demonstrates that not even Apple has been immune to the shrinking global economy.
Apple has described the job cuts as a “streamlining effort” rather than layoffs. The company informed employees that the changes will “improve store upkeep globally,” and that Apple will provide assistance to those affected.
Employees on these teams, according to sources cited in the report, will be able to reapply for other jobs at Apple. Those who do not get a new job with the company will also be paid for up to four months. According to reports, some management positions are also being eliminated. Apple, predictably, declined to comment on the situation.
People familiar with the situation revealed last year that Apple had suspended hiring outside of R&D unless it was absolutely necessary. In a statement, the company stated that it would continue to hire, but at a slower pace due to the current economic climate.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple has been more cautious about hiring, whereas other major technology companies have hired in large numbers. These companies are now all implementing mass layoffs. Meta laid off about 10,000 employees last month, after laying off 11,000 in November 2022.
Of course, it’s difficult to predict how much longer Apple will be able to function without laying off a large number of employees. The company had 164,000 employees in the most recent fiscal quarter.
