Apple Cost-Cutting is Resulting in a Hiring Pause, Says Report

Apple has suspended hiring for many positions outside of research and development as of last month, according to a report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

Sources familiar with the developments told Gurman that Apple made the move ahead of its quarterly earnings report on October 27. Apple reported record revenue of $90.1 billion USD for its fiscal fourth quarter, but the company said during the earnings call that it expects growth to slow during the holiday period.

The hiring pause is part of a wider plan to cut spending across the company as it heads into 2023, burdened with declining consumer spending and the possibility of a U.S. recession. Back in August, Apple even let around 100 contract-based recruiters go as it slowed hiring.

Gurman’s sources said the hiring freeze mostly applies to some corporate roles and hardware and software engineering positions. They said the slowdown generally doesn’t apply to teams working on future devices and Apple’s long-term initiatives (like the oft-rumoured self-driving Apple Car).

Some teams will still be allowed to bring in new personnel under special circumstances, though, the sources said.

In a statement, Apple said that it continues to hire, “but given the current economic environment we’re taking a very deliberate approach in some parts of the business.” The company added that it’s confident in Apple’s future.

“We want to be thoughtful and make smart decisions that enable us to continue fueling innovation for the long term.”

The iPhone maker continues to list open positions on its recruitment website, but it has mostly put a hold on the actual hiring process.

Apple is far from the only company to slow headcount growth and trim spending in the face of worsening macroeconomic conditions and a post-pandemic correction in demand for consumer electronics.

Google announced back in July that it would cut back on hiring due to “uncertain” economic conditions, while Meta has had to not only freeze hiring but also start cutting both jobs and spending across teams. Just this week, Amazon also instituted a hiring freeze for corporate roles.

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