Apple layoffs: The iPhone maker has cut jobs in its sales department

Apple logo is seen in this illustration

Apple has initiated a rare round of layoffs across its global sales organisation as part of an internal restructuring that changes how the company approaches enterprise, education, and government clients. Bloomberg has reported that while Apple has historically avoided broad layoffs, the latest move affects teams that work directly with large institutions and operate briefing centres for major customers.

According to the report, affected employees were informed over the past few weeks. The cuts span multiple teams, including account managers serving businesses and schools, as well as staff responsible for high-level institutional meetings. Apple confirmed that it is reshuffling its sales organisation but did not specify the number of jobs impacted. The employees affected can apply for new roles within the company, with advertisements for sales positions still active on Apple’s careers website.

Impacted teams and business reasons

The restructuring has hit certain groups harder, including long-tenured managers and teams that handle government clients such as the US Department of Defense and the Department of Justice. These teams were already dealing with reduced engagement following the 43-day US government shutdown and budget cuts introduced by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Internally, Apple has framed the move as streamlining overlapping responsibilities and improving efficiency. Some affected employees, however, indicated that the company is shifting more of its institutional sales to third-party resellers—partners that Apple refers to simply as “the channel.” This transition potentially allows Apple to lower operational costs.

What happens next for employees

Those who lost their jobs have until January 20 to find another role within Apple before their employment ends with severance. The company is continuing to hire across various verticals, despite the cuts in this specific division.

Apple rarely conducts organisation-wide layoffs, but it has made workforce adjustments in recent years tied to project cancellations and strategic pivots. The latest restructuring comes even as Apple prepares for a strong revenue quarter and new hardware launches early next year.