Apple Inc. has let go of dozens of employees in its sales division, affecting account managers for business, education, and government clients, as well as staff at Apple’s briefing centres, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The cuts, which have been rolled out over the past few weeks, seeks to streamline the company’s direct sales operations.
An Apple spokesperson told Reuters: “We are continuing to hire, and affected employees are encouraged to apply for new roles within the company.”
One of the most impacted groups was the government sales team, which supports agencies such as the U.S. Defence Department and Justice Department.
This team had already faced operational challenges following a 43-day government shutdown and subsequent budget restrictions from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Bloomberg reported.
Analysts say the layoffs are indicative of Apple’s pivot. Rather than relying solely on internal sales teams, Apple is changing enterprise and institutional sales to third-party resellers. This allows the company to reduce overhead while maintaining its reach into lucrative government and education sectors.
The development also aligns with the current situation in the technology sector. Companies including Verizon, Synopsys, and IBM have recently announced job cuts, even with profitable quarters, as firms restructure and simplify specialised sales and operational roles.
Analysts note that Apple is following this playbook to strengthen its customer engagement while trimming redundancies.
The decision surprised some employees, recalling Apple’s historical avoidance of mass layoffs. Nevertheless, the company framed the restructuring as a way to “connect with even more customers”, emphasising that internal opportunities remain for those affected.
