Apple Initiates Second Round of Job Cuts in Two Months

CALIFORNIA: Apple Inc. has initiated another targeted round of workforce reductions, impacting employees in its Fitness+ division. The move marks the tech giant’s second wave of layoffs in less than two months as it tightens budgets and realigns internal resources toward next-generation priorities.

According to industry reports, the latest cuts hit the audio-content development team responsible for key Apple Watch features, including Time to Walk and Time to Run. While Apple does not plan to discontinue the Fitness+ platform, the reduction means new audio workout content will likely be released less frequently moving forward.

Sources indicate that the restructuring is part of a broader shift toward integrating fitness features more closely into Apple’s core Health application, which is set to introduce expanded educational video modules and health benchmark tracking.

The latest cuts follow a larger workforce reduction in August 2026, when Apple eliminated more than 200 roles spanning its Siri, Vision Pro, and Intelligent Systems Experience teams: Approximately 100 positions were cut as Apple scaled back investments in dedicated mixed-reality gaming and in-house immersive video production following slower consumer adoption.

Roughly 100 software engineers were impacted as Apple transitions Siri to a new technical architecture and shifts headcount toward generative AI capabilities. The recent audio-team trimming reflects a move to control production overhead on subscription services that require high operational maintenance.