August 28, 2024 – Apple Inc. has disclosed a significant restructuring within its Services division, resulting in approximately 100 job cuts, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The announcement, made on Tuesday, sent shockwaves through the tech giant’s workforce, as affected employees from various teams under Senior Vice President Eddy Cue’s purview were notified of their impending departure.
The restructuring measures disproportionately impacted teams overseeing Apple Books and the associated bookstore, with several engineering roles falling victim to the cuts. Concurrently, other service teams, notably those managing Apple News, also underwent a downsizing, though it was emphasized that the latter’s reduction did not signify a diminished importance within Apple’s broader services portfolio.
Sources intimate with the company’s strategic shifts revealed that Apple Books has transitioned from being a pivotal focus to a less central component within the services ecosystem. While the application is still poised to receive future updates and enhancements, the recent developments underscore a strategic recalibration within Apple’s priorities.
Notably, such large-scale job cuts are a rarity at Apple, which has traditionally maintained a stable employment landscape. Prior to this, the company filed mandatory documents with the state of California in April, revealing a permanent reduction of over 600 positions. This move was speculated to be a fallout from Apple’s decision to discontinue its autonomous car project, with a portion of the 2,000-strong development team reportedly reassigned to other initiatives within the company, while the remaining 600 faced termination.
The latest round of layoffs within the Services division underscores Apple’s relentless pursuit of efficiency and strategic alignment amidst an ever-evolving technological landscape.
