Tim Cook Says Apple Still Not Considering 'Mass Layoffs'

Apple CEO Tim Cook today said he still views mass layoffs as a "last resort," and ensured this is not something the company is considering right now.

Tim Cook MacBook
"I view that as a last resort and, so, mass layoffs is not something that we're talking about at this moment," said Cook, in an interview with CNBC.

Major tech companies like Google and Facebook parent Meta have laid off tens of thousands of employees in recent months amid economic uncertainty, after aggressively hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple has not made any mass layoffs of full-time employees, but the company has reportedly laid off some corporate employees within its retail teams, let go of some contracted recruiters, and stopped hiring for some roles.

In a regulatory filing last year, Apple said it had approximately 164,000 full-time equivalent employees as of September 24, 2022.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

ethanwa79 Avatar
31 months ago
A company that makes $24 BILLION PROFIT per QUARTER should never be considering mass layoffs. So I'm glad they aren't.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechnoMonk Avatar
31 months ago
If Tim Cook is smart, he should double down on some initiatives and increase the R&D resources and budget. Good time to get ahead when industry is cutting down.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
riverfreak Avatar
31 months ago
You cannot lay-off mass. But you CAN convert it to energy.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NEPOBABY Avatar
31 months ago
Tight ships don’t need to throw their sailors into the ocean.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
31 months ago

I wish they'd direct some of their huge workforce into rebuilding Music for Mac
or a stock Calculator App for an iPad. :rolleyes:
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
31 months ago
No mass layoffs, just continue ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/11/03/apple-hiring-freeze-cost-cutting/') their hiring freeze ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/03/14/apple-cutting-costs-hiring-freeze-bonus-delay/') and a few cuts here and there ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/03/apple-corporate-retail-employee-layoffs/') every now ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/01/24/apple-project-titan-apple-car-layoffs/') and again ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/02/27/apple-self-driving-car-project-layoffs/')
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)