Apple’s Recent Layoffs

Apple is laying off 614 workers in California, according to a new state filing, marking the company’s first significant round of job cuts since the pandemic hit. The affected employees were based at eight different facilities in Santa Clara, as cited in the WARN notice posted by California. They were officially notified of the layoffs on March 28, and the changes will be effective starting May 27, according to the filing.

Unlike some of its tech counterparts, Apple had not faced significant downsizing, mainly due to its slower growth compared to rivals during the pandemic. However, recent events have prompted the company to streamline its operations, including the cancellation of a long-standing project aimed at developing an electric, self-driving car led by the Special Projects Group. Although the California filing did not specify the projects losing jobs, the affected locations are satellite offices rather than the main Cupertino headquarters, suggesting they likely housed more confidential initiatives.

The positions that have been eliminated range from roles like machine shop managers to hardware engineers and product design engineers, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle first. Apple has chosen not to comment on these recent developments.