Tech Layoffs 2023: Apple Fires Contract Workers Months After Avoiding Mass Layoffs, Report

Months after avoiding mass layoffs, the iPhone maker Apple has reportedly succumbed to the tech layoffs 2023 and fired some contract workers. While the exact number of laid off employees is not known, a report suggests that many more firings by Apple can be expected in the coming days.

According to a report in the New York Post, over the last few days, Apple has laid off hundreds of contract workers – workers that were actually employed by outside agencies but worked alongside Apple employees on various projects. 

Citing sources, the report adds that “instead of waiting for contracts that are typically renewed every 12 to 15 months, Apple is firing contracts outright.” Alongside this, one contractor also reportedly claimed to have been blindsided as Apple’s management had allegedly assured him that all jobs were safe. 

Before this, when other tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and others were laying off employees, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook had reportedly said that Apple layoffs were a “last resort kind of thing.” However, as per the report, Apple views letting contractors go as cutting costs – not actually firing employees. 

It must be noted that, as per the publication, Apple has not disclosed the size of its contractor workforce. However, past figures suggest that the iPhone maker has thousands of contract workers associated with it along with three dozen staffing firms aiding with project management, launch events and so on. 

Apple layoffs’ reports come as a shock to many as it was one of the few big tech companies that did not resort to mass layoffs despite global economic headwinds. As per layoffs.fyi, in 2023, a total of 380 tech companies have laid off 1,08,346 employees (at the time of writing this story).