Apple to lay off small number in retail teams

Apple plans to lay off a small number of employees involved in the construction and upkeep of its retail stores and other facilities, according to Bloomberg.

The company is reportedly attempting to characterize the move as a streamlining effort, with some employees receiving the opportunity to reapply for similar roles, per Bloomberg.

Apple had previously avoided cutting jobs amid the current economic slump, even as its competitors in the industry engaged in mass layoffs and slashed tens of thousands of jobs. 

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced last month that it would lay off another 10,000 workers after previously cutting 11,000 jobs in November. Amazon also announced a second round of layoffs in March, bringing its total cuts to about 27,000. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, announced in January that it would cut 12,000 jobs as well.

Apple has faced less pressure to cut jobs after hiring fewer workers during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other major tech companies, Bloomberg previously reported.