Apple cuts 400+ jobs, directors sacked as new CEO John Ternus swings the axe: report

Apple is trimming its workforce under new CEO John Ternus, with cuts so far hitting its AI and mixed-reality teams and a layer of hardware managers, according to tech media reports.

More than 200 people were affected in August, including at least 60 in the Vision Group, and "dozens" of engineering program managers have since been cut.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman expects more.

A reported plan to replace 5,000 AppleCare employees with AI is on hold. Apple, long known for avoiding large layoffs, has not announced a company-wide reduction.

• August: Siri and Vision Pro. Apple laid off roughly 200 people, about 100 from the Vision Products Group and about 100 from Siri and related software teams. A California WARN filing covers 147 of those roles, 79 at Apple Park in Cupertino and 68 across two Sunnyvale offices.

• All are permanent, with separations dated October 19 and 20. Reporting tied the Siri cuts relate to an internal architectural change driven by AI integration.

• September: managers/directors. Bloomberg reported that Ternus removed engineering program managers from hardware, including roughly half a dozen directors.

• Affected employees reportedly have "weeks" to find another internal job or face layoffs later this year, according to Tikr Apple.

• October report: Tech America reported on Oct. 21 that "restructuring" has led to cuts in Apple sales jobs. California’s official WARN report lists all 147 affected California positions as permanent layoffs effective Oct. 19.

• Scale: Apple’s total across 2026 rounds remains under 500 confirmed positions out of roughly 166,000 employees, well under 1%, TechTimes reported.

In August, Apple stated that while it was creating new roles as part of the transition, it will also impact a limited number of existing roles.

The statement concerned restructuring affecting Siri, Vision Pro and related software teams. Apple also said it would support affected employees, including opportunities to apply for other positions within the company.

TechCrunch reported about the proposal to replace approximately 5,000 AppleCare workers with AI, but that plan was reportedly “shelved”.

Moreover, MacRumors reported that US and Canadian callers now have a good chance of reaching an AI support assistant.

Ternus became CEO on September 1, with Tim Cook becoming executive chairman.

What’s next

• Tech media reported that the program-manager cuts are only the beginning and say Apple has contemplated broader layoffs than those.

• Some employees expect further reductions before year-end or in early 2027.