Apple is set to lay off 614 employees in California, marking the company’s first significant job cuts since the start of the pandemic, as confirmed by a recent state filing.
The impacted employees, who were based in various facilities in Santa Clara, as indicated in a WARN notice released by California, received official notice of the layoffs on March 28, with the changes scheduled to take effect on May 27.
Unlike some of its counterparts in the tech industry, Apple has not undergone extensive downsizing during the pandemic mainly due to its slower growth compared to competitors.
The decision to initiate the layoffs follows Apple’s recent move to scrap a project focused on developing an electric, self-driving car under a team known as the Special Projects Group. Meanwhile, the specific projects linked to the job cuts were not disclosed in the California notice. The affected locations mentioned in the filing are smaller satellite offices, often utilized for confidential initiatives, rather than Apple’s main Cupertino headquarters.
The impacted positions encompass roles such as machine shop managers, hardware engineers, and product design engineers, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, which initially broke the story.
