Apple will eliminate 147 Bay Area positions across three locations, marking a rare workforce reduction for the tech giant. State filings show 79 cuts planned for Cupertino headquarters, with another 40 in Sunnyvale at 605 W. Maude Ave. and 28 more at 599 N. Mathilda Ave.
The reductions represent part of a broader company-wide layoff affecting roughly 200 employees. Bloomberg reported last week that the cuts target the largely dormant Vision Pro virtual reality unit, alongside Siri and select software teams.
Apple declined requests for comment.
The timing proves notable. CEO Tim Cook departs next week after 11 years at the helm, handing control to successor John Ternus.
While modest compared to industry peers, the layoffs signal that even Apple has not escaped the turbulence reshaping tech. Artificial intelligence disruptions, rising operational costs tied to energy price spikes following the Iran conflict, and broader geopolitical uncertainty have forced nearly every major technology company to reassess headcount.
The job eliminations take effect in October. Nearly 100 software engineers across security, virtual reality, and user interface divisions will lose their positions, along with engineering program managers and machine learning researchers.
Apple has conducted almost no layoffs since the pandemic began, largely because the company hired far less aggressively than competitors like Meta and Google. The last significant reduction came in 2024, when Apple cut 614 California workers after scrapping its self-driving car initiative.
As of September 2025, Apple employed approximately 166,000 people including retail staff.
Meanwhile, the company shuttered three retail stores in June. Locations in Escondido, Connecticut, and Maryland closed, though Apple said affected workers could transfer or apply for roles at other stores. The Maryland location at Towson Town Center held particular significance as the first unionized Apple store in the United States.
The October timeline suggests Ternus will inherit a leaner organization as he navigates Apple through an increasingly competitive AI landscape.
