Apple has reportedly started laying off a small number of people from one of its retail teams.
Although it is currently unclear how many employees will be affected, Apple is pitching it to improve its operations rather than as a cost-cutting measure. Until now, Apple’s lack of layoffs has set it apart from many big tech companies that have announced major cuts.
However, it appears that Apple can no longer act as an example of a company that hasn’t resorted to laying off employees. The jobs being cut are in the division that handles building and upkeep for Apple’s retail stores, and affected employees have been told that they have until the end of the week to apply for other positions at the company. Apple is offering up to four months of severance pay for those that aren’t able to stay.
It is worth noting that these are the first reported layoffs of full-time employees at Apple since the big tech cuts began. The company has been paring down costs in other ways, with CEO Tim Cook telling The Wall Street Journal that layoffs were “a last resort.”
Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple had been laying off contractors, leaving some newly-opened positions unfilled, slowing down hiring for some departments, delaying bonuses, reducing travel budgets, pushing back projects, and more. It remains to be seen how these layoffs will affect Apple’s operations and reputation as a company that values its employees.
However, it is clear that even a company as successful as Apple is not immune to the economic pressures that have forced other big tech companies to make major cuts
