The majority of those laid off were said to be part of the team responsible for the Apple Books app and Apple Bookstore, with additional cuts affecting some engineering roles and services such as Apple News.

Bloomberg reports that these layoffs do not indicate a shift away from services like Apple Books, which is still expected to receive updates and new features. While the services division — encompassing Apple TV Plus, Apple News, and Apple Music — has been a significant revenue driver for Apple in recent years, the company reportedly does not view Apple Books as a major component of its lineup.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has previously stated that job cuts are a “last resort” for the company, and the Tame Apple Press insists that these are rare. However, this is the second batch of people to be cleaning out their desks this year.  

In April, Apple reportedly cut at least 600 jobs related to its canceled car and smartwatch display projects, and a “small number” of roles were eliminated from its corporate retail teams in 2023.

While layoffs might be rarer than many big tech companies, Apple does have history in getting rid of staff to solve its immediate issues, particularly recently. In 1997 Steve Jobs returned to Apple, and immediately fired 4,100 employees as part of a major restructuring to save the company from financial troubles.

In 2023, Apple made some layoffs, including the closure of its self-driving car project and a microLED display initiative.