Apple Restructures US Sales Organization: "Dozens" of Layoffs
Unlike Microsoft, Meta, or Amazon, Apple has been restrained with job cuts. Now the company wants to restructure its sales division, which will cost jobs.
An Apple logo.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch / heise medien)
Apple is reportedly facing a wave of layoffs. The company is said to have cut "dozens" of positions in its sales division in the United States "in an effort to optimize how it offers products to businesses, schools, and government agencies," writes the financial news agency Bloomberg. Large-scale layoffs are considered rare at Apple; the company did not participate in the major job cut waves that occurred in the post-corona years at companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google, or Amazon in the post-corona years.
Layoffs "Surprising"
It is currently unclear how many positions are affected in total, but the entire sales organization is reportedly impacted, with some teams being "hit particularly hard." It is also unclear whether there will be restructuring of the sales division in Europe. Among those laid off are account managers who were previously responsible for sales to large companies, government organizations, and educational institutions.
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The same applies to parts of the teams behind Apple's sales centers, the so-called Briefing Centers, where employees demonstrated products to potential customers. Apple confirmed the personnel measure but provided no details. The company stated that it wants to "connect even more closely with customers" in the future, which is why the sales team has been restructured.
Resellers to Sell More
According to Apple, only "a small number of roles" are affected. The company is still hiring, and those affected can also apply for new positions. According to Bloomberg, the layoffs came as a surprise to those affected – also because Apple had recently been continuing to ramp up growth. In the December quarter, revenue is expected to rise to $140 billion, a new record. It also became known that a total of 20 sales representatives were laid off in Australia and New Zealand. They can apply for other positions until January; otherwise, they will receive severance pay. In parallel, Apple is looking for new sales representatives.
Apple apparently plans to outsource more sales work to its resellers to reduce internal costs. Some of those laid off had been with Apple for 20 or 30 years. One particularly hard-hit team sold to the US Department of Defense and the US Department of Justice, according to Bloomberg. Apple's sales report directly to CEO Tim Cook. The last major wave of layoffs at Apple occurred in 2024, partly due to the end of the company's car project.
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