Apple Inc. has laid off more than 600 employees in California as a part of its decision to end its car and smartwatch display projects. The layoffs were disclosed in filings with the California Employment Development Department.
The Cupertino-based company filed eight separate reports to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) programme. These reports were submitted for each California address where employees were affected by the layoffs.
At least 87 of the affected employees worked at a secret Apple facility dedicated to next-generation screen development, while others were located at buildings associated with the car project.
Apple began winding down both initiatives at the end of February. The car project was cancelled due to indecision among executives about its direction and concerns about its cost. The display programme was shuttered because of engineering, supplier and cost challenges.
According to the reports, 371 employees were laid off at Apple’s main car-related office in Santa Clara, California, with additional layoffs at satellite offices. Some Apple employees from the car project were reassigned to other teams, such as those working on artificial intelligence or personal robotics.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the number of employees affected by the layoffs. The WARN notices do not provide the full scope of the job reductions, as Apple had many engineers working on both projects in other locations, including Arizona.
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