In adherence to California state regulations, Apple has formally notified its intention to permanently lay off more than 600 employees this week.
These affected employees are spread across various Apple-operated buildings in the Santa Clara region, near the company's Cupertino headquarters. Speculation is rife that these layoffs could be attributed to Apple's recent decision to halt its efforts on the Apple Car project.
Apple officially halted the development of the Apple Car in March, informing roughly 2,000 employees involved in the project about the winding down process. While some of these employees were transitioned to roles in artificial intelligence under John Giannandrea and other relevant departments, others were given a 90-day window to explore available positions within the company.
However, given that Apple had previously hired hardware engineers and car designers specifically for the Apple Car project, it may pose a challenge for these individuals to pivot to other projects within the organization.
Additionally, Apple's recent discontinuation of in-house microLED display development could also play a role in these layoffs.