Apple’s development and maintenance teams will have fewer corporate retail employees. Layoffs have dominated the tech industry in recent months as a result of the global economic crisis, with a number of computer titans reducing their staff. Still, this is Apple’s first major layoff since the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the statement, the iPhone manufacturer is laying off a small number of people from its corporate retail teams, according to sources familiar situation.
But, the number of posts that will be removed is uncertain, according to rumors.
Apple’s corporate retail teams are in charge of building and maintaining Apple retail stores and other facilities around the world.
The move marks the beginning of a new era for one of the world’s most prolific businesses, whose competitors were compelled to take a similar step at the start of the year.
Read also: Amazon to cut 9,000 jobs, after 18,000 layoffs
Apple sees this as a global effort to improve its services.
Tech businesses informed affected employees that the adjustments were intended to improve store upkeep internationally and that the company would support them.
While it trimmed spending and made other strategic changes, it did not lay off workers as it had in prior years.
Apple’s job-size reduction
In February, Tim Cook, the company’s CEO, stated that spending and recruiting methods had to be adjusted to match current economic realities and that cutting the staff was the last option.
Technology firms hired aggressively during the COVID-19 pandemic. These firms spent more on staffing. Yet, market conditions have deteriorated, forcing many companies to lay off hundreds or even thousands of employees.
Apple’s workforce expanded by 20% in 2020. By February, the corporation had fired several third-party contractors, even though Cook didn’t want to remove anyone.
With 164,000 employees, Apple’s tax year ended in September. The company hired fewer individuals during the pandemic than other IT companies, which lessened the need for layoffs. Tens of thousands of employees have been let go by Google and Amazon.com, Inc.
Yet, there’s a significant probability that this initial batch of layoffs was planned for a while. A report from March claims that Apple has made the decision to focus more of its attention on India and has big changes planned for its worldwide management teams.
This redesign made India a separate sales region from South Asia. The region’s VP, Hugues Asseman, was succeeded by Asish Chowdhary, who had led the Indian division under him.
Apple reminded those employees that they could apply for similar positions in the current move. Sources said individuals who don’t take new jobs would get four months’ pay.