Apple has cut more than 600 jobs across California, delivering the iPhone maker’s first significant round of layoffs since the pandemic reshaped the tech labor market.
The move lands amid a broader wave of workforce reductions sweeping through Silicon Valley. Apple had long resisted the downsizing trend that hit rivals over the past two years, even as pandemic-era hiring surges left many firms overstaffed relative to slowing revenue growth.
Notifications went out to 614 employees across eight Santa Clara offices on March 28, according to filings submitted under California’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The terminations take effect May 27.
Which departments or product teams absorbed the cuts remains unclear. Apple has not commented on the filings.
The Cupertino-based company reported roughly 161,000 full-time equivalent workers in its most recent regulatory disclosure. That headcount still exceeds pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a hiring boom driven by surging demand for digital services and devices during lockdown years.
Meanwhile, the wider tech sector continues trimming payrolls. Amazon announced layoffs this week targeting its AWS cloud division. Electronic Arts plans to eliminate about five percent of its workforce. Sony’s PlayStation unit will shed roughly 900 positions. Cisco Systems revealed cuts exceeding 4,000 employees, while Snap disclosed a ten percent reduction in its global staff.
Apple’s decision signals that even the industry’s most resilient players face mounting pressure to control costs. Whether this represents a one-time adjustment or the start of deeper restructuring will depend on how product demand and services revenue perform through the remainder of the fiscal year.
