Apple has laid off staff across its sales teams as part of an effort to enhance customer engagement strategies, the tech giant confirmed on Monday. An Apple spokesperson told Reuters that only a small number of positions were affected and that the company continues to hire, adding that impacted employees may apply for internal openings.

According to Bloomberg News, the job reductions include account managers handling key clients across large enterprises, educational institutions and government agencies. The report also noted that staff operating Apple’s briefing centres, used for institutional meetings and product demonstrations, were among those let go.

Wave of layoffs across major global corporations

Apple’s latest cuts come amid a series of major job reductions announced by global companies in recent months.

Verizon began laying off more than 13,000 employees in November, with CEO Dan Schulman saying the restructuring aims to simplify operations and “reorient” the company.

General Motors laid off around 1,700 workers in Michigan and Ohio in late October due to slowing demand for electric vehicles.

Paramount plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, roughly 10% of its workforce, following its $8 billion merger with Skydance. About 1,000 layoffs have already begun, according to a source cited by multiple media outlets.

Amazon announced cuts affecting approximately 14,000 corporate roles, or nearly 4% of its workforce, while stepping up investments in AI.

UPS has eliminated around 48,000 jobs this year as part of a turnaround strategy and has shut operations at 93 facilities.

Target eliminated around 1,800 corporate positions in October as part of efficiency measures.

Nestlé said in mid-October it would cut 16,000 jobs globally over the next two years amid rising commodity costs and tariff pressures.

Lufthansa Group plans to shed 4,000 jobs by 2030, attributing the move to increased use of AI and consolidation across its airlines.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, announced cuts of 9,000 roles, or about 11% of its workforce, due to restructuring efforts.

ConocoPhillips intends to reduce its workforce by up to 25%, affecting as many as 3,250 employees by the end of 2025.

Intel is slashing thousands of jobs, aiming to reduce its core employee count to 75,000 from 99,500 last year.

Microsoft initiated 6,000 layoffs in May and later announced an additional 9,000 job cuts.