Apple's rare move

Apple has just laid off employees in its sales department despite the company's record sales.

Apple logo in front of a store in New York (USA). Photo: Bloomberg .

According to Bloomberg , Apple has cut staff in its sales department. This is a rare layoff by the Apple, aiming to streamline the process of providing products to businesses, schools and governments .

The employees affected by the cuts have been notified by management over the past few weeks. The layoffs will affect several teams in the sales department, though Apple did not specify how many positions will be eliminated.

Positions affected include account managers for large businesses, schools and government agencies, along with staff who operate meeting centers and demonstrate products to potential customers.

The change in the sales department was confirmed by Apple on November 24, but did not provide details.

“To connect with more customers, we are making some changes to our sales team that will impact a small number of positions... We are hiring, and affected employees can apply for new positions,” an Apple representative said.

According to Bloomberg , Apple's cuts to the entire division are an unusual move, notable because the company's revenue is growing at its fastest pace in recent years. The company's revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 is on track to reach nearly $140 billion , breaking the previous record.

Rumors say Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook next year, aimed at reaching new business and education customers. A few weeks ago, the company cut about 20 sales positions in Australia and New Zealand.

Employees subject to redundancy can apply for other positions within the company by January 20, 2026, or their contracts will be terminated with severance pay.

Internally, Apple said the layoffs were part of a strategy to streamline its sales force and eliminate overlapping responsibilities.

Still, some affected employees say the move is part of the company’s push to shift sales to third-party retailers (distribution channels). Some customers prefer to work with distribution channels. Cutting sales staff could help Apple reduce costs, such as wages.

Some of the employees being cut include long-time managers, some of whom have been with the company for 20 or 30 years. The hardest hit are sales teams that work with several government agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice .

Inside an Apple store. Photo: New York Times .

Insider sources said the team faced many difficulties after the 43-day US government shutdown, in addition to cost-cutting measures from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Apple's sales division reports directly to CEO Tim Cook and is overseen by Mike Fenger. Earlier this year, Vivek Thakkar joined to oversee sales for businesses and education.

Compared to other tech companies, Apple is less reliant on layoffs, which CEO Tim Cook has stressed are “a last resort.” When cutting jobs, the company generally avoids violating the US WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications) Act, which protects workers.

Apple has already cut a large number of employees in 2024 due to product launch cancellations and economic uncertainty, including employees in its self-driving car and internal display divisions. Some groups related to AI and services are also affected.

In the tech world, layoffs are happening more frequently and on a larger scale. In early November, Amazon announced it was cutting more than 14,000 employees, while Meta also cut hundreds of positions in its AI division.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-sa-thai-nhan-vien-post1605664.html