Apple lays off 50 people

In spite of denials or refusal to comment by company spokesmen, Apple has indeed laid off approximately 50 people involved in enterprise sales, claim sources cited by CNET. Rumors began circulating of the layoffs on Tuesday, but spokesman Steve Dowling has refused to speak on the matter, and a separate, unidentified spokesman is said to have insisted there was no truth at all to the reports, in the same way that Dowling previously denied an allegation that 50 people had been removed from the Mac Hardware and Pro Applications divisions.

The CNET sources claim to have been victims of the enterprise layoffs however, brought into conference rooms in Austin and Cupertino and given manila envelopes telling them their jobs were gone. Plainclothes security guards stood by to cope with outbursts, the sources indicate, but those being let go were given severance pay and a chance at applying for other jobs within Apple.

The exact reason for the cuts is uncertain, but one source has cited "business and economic reasons." Apple is actually one of a minority of major corporations to have fared reasonably well during the global recession, though its profits have been affected by declining Mac sales. The layoffs may instead be more closely related to an increasing de-emphasis on Apple enterprise sales, which have already been relegated to resellers in many circumstances.

by MacNN Staff