Apple is set to lay off staff from roles within its corporate retail teams as the tech giant bids to improve its operations.

The number of jobs set to be axed is not yet known, but it is “likely very small”. The tech giant is internally pitching the staff cuts as a way to strengthen its operations rather than as a cost-cutting measure, Bloomberg reported.

Apple had previously managed to avoid job cuts – unlike many other big tech companies that have recently announced major staff changes as Google axed 12,000 jobs, Meta laid off 21,000 staff and Amazon has now slashed a total of 27,000 jobs.

Apple’s job cuts will likely be on a smaller scale, and reports suggest the layoffs will be in the division that handles building and upkeep for its retail stores.

Affected employees have been told they can apply for other positions at the company until the end of the week, or receive up to four months’ redundancy pay.

The job cuts are reported to extend to some management roles, but any laid-off managers also have a chance to be rehired as a contributor on a lower salary.

Apple has not commented on the news of the internal job cuts, but chief executive Tim Cook recently told reporters that layoffs were “the last resort”.