In rare layoff, Apple cuts dozens of jobs across sales division

Apple has eliminated dozens of sales roles in a bid to streamline the way it offers products to businesses, schools and governments, marking a rare layoff for the iPhone maker.

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Management notified the affected workers over the past couple of weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The cuts extended across the sales organisation — hitting some teams especially hard - though the company did not tell employees how many roles were involved.

The affected jobs included account managers serving major businesses, schools and government agencies, and staff who operate Apple's briefing centres for institutional meetings and product demonstrations for prospective major customers.

Apple confirmed on Nov 24 that it is reshuffling the division, without giving specifics.

“To connect with even more customers, we are making some changes in our sales team that affect a small number of roles,” a spokesperson for the Cupertino, California-based company said in a statement.

“We are continuing to hire, and those employees can apply for new roles.”