Apple Inc. has suspended hiring for many positions outside of research and development, people familiar with the matter said, in a move that escalates an existing plan to trim its budget for next year.
Apple took the step last month, in time for the release of its new quarterly earnings report. Apple said at the time of the earnings release that the company’s growth would slow in the holiday quarter. The hiring pause generally doesn’t apply to teams developing future devices and long-term projects, but will affect some company functions as well as standard hardware and software engineering roles, people familiar with the matter said.
Apple said in a statement that the company will continue to hire, “but given the current economic environment, we are taking a very deliberate approach in certain areas of our business. We want to be thoughtful and make smart decisions that will allow us to drive innovation over the long term.” The company added that they are confident in Apple’s future.
Some teams within Apple are still able to hire under special circumstances, and the company is still posting new positions on its job site, people familiar with the matter said. However, while Apple is still hiring for new positions, the actual hiring process has been largely put on hold. After the news broke, Apple shares went from up to down after hours, falling 1 percent and having accumulated a 22 percent drop this year.
