Apple Inc., which has until now resisted announcing a major round of job cuts, is looking to eliminate a small number of roles within its corporate retail teams, according to a report today by Bloomberg.

The iPhone and Mac computer maker is cutting positions in what is internally known as its development and preservation teams, people with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. Those teams are said to be responsible for the construction and upkeep of Apple’s retail stores and other facilities it maintains.

Although the exact number of jobs being eliminated isn’t known, it’s likely to be very small, the report said. Even so, it represents a new step for the world’s most valuable company, which has until now resisted laying off workers while its technology industry peers slash thousands of jobs amid a shaky economy and slowing consumer spending.

Bloomberg said Apple is framing the move as a “streamlining effort,” as opposed to layoffs. Reportedly, employees were told that the changes would help to improve the upkeep of Apple stores globally, and that affected workers would be provided with support.

Apple has made a number of cuts to its internal budgets and pared back much of its outside contractor workforce but has held off on corporate layoffs. The last time it cut any significant number of jobs was before the COVID-19 pandemic, when it laid off about 190 people in its self-driving car business unit.

Bloomberg added that a small number of management roles will also be eliminated. Some of those employees might be offered alternative roles as “individual contributors” but may not receive the same level of compensation, according to the people.

At the end of its last fiscal year, in September, Apple reported having 164,000 employees on its books. Unlike many of its peers, Apple didn’t expand its workforce rapidly during the pandemic, lessening the need for layoffs. In contrast, other notable big tech firms such as Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. have all cut tens of thousands of jobs.

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