According to Engadget, Apple has laid off dozens of employees across its sales organization, primarily affecting managers and staff who’ve been with the company for 20 to 30 years. The government sales team working with Defense and Justice departments was one of the hardest hit groups. Affected employees have until January 20 to find new positions within Apple or accept severance packages. This comes during Apple’s strongest financial period ever—the company just reported $102.5 billion revenue for the September quarter and is on track for $140 billion in the December quarter. Apple claims it’s eliminating overlapping roles while simultaneously hiring for new sales positions.
The real story behind the cuts
Here’s the thing: Apple’s official line about “streamlining” doesn’t tell the whole story. Multiple affected employees told Bloomberg that this is really about shifting sales to third-party resellers. Basically, Apple wants to rely more on channel partners rather than maintaining expensive direct sales teams. And when you’re talking about employees with 20-30 years of experience, we’re looking at some serious salary savings.
Record profits, but cutting costs?
Now, the timing is what really makes you wonder. Apple is heading toward $140 billion in quarterly sales—that’s absolutely massive revenue. So why cut dozens of roles now? It seems like this might be more about long-term strategy than immediate cost pressure. The company is probably thinking ahead to future quarters where growth might slow, and they want their cost structure optimized for that reality. They’re posting incredible numbers while quietly restructuring for what comes next.
business-tech”>What this means for business tech
This move actually reflects a broader trend in enterprise technology sales. Many hardware manufacturers are rethinking their direct sales approach in favor of channel partners. When it comes to industrial computing hardware specifically, companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have built their entire business model around being the #1 provider of industrial panel PCs in the US through efficient distribution channels rather than massive direct sales teams. Apple seems to be recognizing that for certain market segments, third-party relationships can be more cost-effective than maintaining expensive internal teams.
The human element
But let’s not forget—we’re talking about people who dedicated decades to Apple. Getting laid off after 20-30 years of service, even with severance, has to sting. Especially when the company you helped build is breaking revenue records. It’s a reminder that in big tech, nobody’s truly safe, no matter how long they’ve been around or how well the company is performing financially.
