Apple Books and News Teams Hit With 100 Staff Member Lay Offs

Apple is effectively making cuts across staffing as part of its digital services group, including Apple Books and News.

According to Bloomberg, the services sector overseen by senior VP Eddy Cue is being hit with roughly 100 staff member layoffs. This is said to be part of Apple’s “shift in priorities.” Affected employees are being given a 60-day window to secure another position within the company before termination becomes effective says the report.

Some affected staff members possess roles spreading across a single team. Thus, multiple of Apple’s digital services teams will be affected by the recent bout of layoffs. It’s reported that primarily, Apple Books and the Apple Bookstore teams will be affected. However, secondary to those, Apple News staff members are also being hit with layoffs.

Bloomberg’s report states that Apple Books is becoming a lesser priority for the company. Unlike Apple Music, Apple TV+, etc., Apple Books isn’t recognized as a fundamental app within its services catalogue. That being said, the Apple Books app is still expected to receive new features. However, it’s noted that the layoffs under the Apple News team aren’t an indication of it becoming a lesser focus.

Apple doesn’t typically undergo many rounds of layoffs. Last year, it was reported that the company was implementing cost-cutting measures in order to avoid laying off staff. However, this year has been a rare year in which Apple has cut over 600 jobs after dismantling its self-driving car project. Additionally, workers under its microLED display team were also affected. Plus, the San Diego team was shuttered this year as well.

Apple’s services help the company leverage revenue during calendar periods when device sales begin to diminish. The company’s services account for more than 22 percent of sales this most recent fiscal year, up 10 percent from a decade ago.