AppleInsider reports Apple has begun laying off non-seasonal employees in its retail channel outside of Apple Stores.
The publication says it has seen a verified email that says some Apple retail channel employees, such as those that work in places like Best Buy have received a 30-day notice about their rights when being laid off.
While Apple, Best Buy, and other retailers hire seasonal employees to handle the influx of customers during the holiday shopping season, those employees have already been laid off, so the most recent layoffs are not from that group.
A second part of the initial email indicates that Retail Customer Care employees will be notified later on Friday, and over the weekend. However, AppleInsider could not verify independently that that will happen.
While Apple has yet to make any public announcements of any large layoffs, like other tech companies have, in November Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is “being deliberate” and slowing down the hiring process.
Other companies are implementing mass layoffs. Microsoft plans to lay off 10,000 workers, Google will cut 12,000 of its workforce, and Amazon is reportedly readying to terminate more than 18,000 employees.