Apple has eliminated about 100 jobs across its digital services group according to Bloomberg, as part of a “shift in priorities” for the division. The majority of those laid off reportedly worked within the team that runs the Apple Books app and Apple Bookstore, with the remaining cuts made to some engineering roles and services like Apple News.
According to Bloomberg, the layoffs aren’t a sign that Apple is shifting its focus away from services like Apple Books, and the Books app is still expected to receive future updates for new features. While the services division — which includes things like Apple TV Plus, Apple News, and Apple Music — has been a revenue driver for Apple in recent years, the company reportedly doesn’t consider Apple books to be a major part of the lineup.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously said that cutting jobs is a “last resort” for the company, and layoffs have been rare (or at least, far smaller than those affecting rival tech giants) until fairly recently. At least 600 job cuts were reportedly made to Apple’s cancelled car and smartwatch display projects back in April, and an undisclosed “small number” of roles were eliminated from its corporate retail teams in 2023. We have reached out to Apple for comment about this latest round of cuts and will update if we hear back.
