Filings with the state of California show that 618 security guards and personnel who worked at Apple’s offices in Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the state have been laid off, but Apple says a majority have been or will be rehired.
An Apple spokeswoman told MarketWatch today that the tech giant is changing security vendors, and that its new vendor will rehire most of the security personnel, though she did not give a specific number.
“We are adding several new security vendors who will join our existing vendors in providing security services at our facilities in the U.S.,” the spokeswoman said. “The majority of security guards impacted by this transition have already accepted positions with the new vendors and we’re working closely with our partners to ensure a seamless transition.”
MarketWatch notes that Apple is the only tech company worth more than US$1 trillion that has not announced layoffs so far. The company spokeswoman declined to say whether changing security vendors was a cost-cutting move, but said the move will not result in a decrease in the number of security guards at Apple’s buildings.
Though not announcing any layoffs so far, Apple is delaying bonuses for some corporate divisions and expanding a cost-cutting effort in an effort to streamline operations during tough economic times, according to a March report from Bloomberg.
Quoting unnamed “people with knowledge of the situation,” the article says the shift will reduce the frequency of bonuses for a portion of Apple’s corporate workforce, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan hasn’t been announced publicly. Separately, the company is limiting hiring for more jobs and leaving additional positions open when employees depart, adds Bloomberg.
And last month The New York Post reported that Apple – which has avoided the mass layoffs that have claimed tens of thousands of workers at Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft – has quietly begun axing contractors.
The article said that the tech giant started to cut ties with hundreds of contractors — workers technically employed by outside agencies who work alongside Apple employees on projects. Instead of waiting for contracts that are typically renewed every 12 to 15 months to expire, Apple is dismissing contractors outright, according to The Post.
This wasn’t the company’s first such move. In August 2022, Bloomberg said the company had laid off many of its contract-based recruiters. The article said “the decision stems from a move to be more careful during uncertain times, though it isn’t a companywide policy.” Purportedly, the changes won’t affect all teams.
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