Despite Four Rounds of Layoffs, Apple's Workforce Still Grew This Year

Despite reports of at least four smaller rounds of layoffs at Apple this year, the company's workforce in 2024 has still grown. In a filing submitted last week, Apple disclosed that as of the end of September, it employed approximately 164,000 full-time employees worldwide. This number is up from the 161,000 full-time employees reported by Apple a year ago. These figures include both corporate employees (like software engineers) and retail staff.

Apple's current workforce size matches its 2022 level, following a slight dip last year.

According to Apple's filings, the company's full-time employee counts over the years are as follows:

• 2024: 164,000

• 2023: 161,000

• 2022: 164,000

• 2021: 154,000

• 2020: 147,000

• 2019: 137,000

• 2018: 132,000

After canceling a long-running electric vehicle project, Apple cut over 600 jobs this year, according to a notification submitted by the company in California. Apple also moved its Siri evaluation team from San Diego, California, to Austin, Texas, resulting in layoffs for employees unwilling to relocate, affecting around 120 positions.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple also cut around 100 positions from its Apple Books and Apple News teams this year and laid off some employees after abandoning plans to independently develop a micro-LED display for the Apple Watch.

While other tech companies like Google and Microsoft laid off tens of thousands of employees over the past two years, Apple managed to avoid large-scale layoffs during this time. With its workforce and quarterly revenue again reaching new highs, Apple is positioned for a strong entry into 2025.