Apple Isn’t Filling Some Open Genius Tech-Support Jobs

Apple will be slowing down hiring at some of its retail locations for its Genius technical support jobs, according to a Bloomberg report Tuesday (April 26).

This is a result of cost-cutting, according to some employees.

It comes after the tech giant has told some stores that it won’t fill Genius positions to that opened after employee departures. And Apple has taken back verbal job offers.

But Apple has yet to issue any layoffs or a hiring freeze.

The report notes that this has resulted in five or more technical support positions not filled at various stores, with employers saying the changes were part of an effort to cut the headcount at various locations not seeing the same level of customers as before the pandemic.

Apple’s Genius role has been a big part of the company’s retail experience. The tech giant has been looking into other options recently, though, with many locations cutting out positions at the Genius Bar, which was dedicated to solving customer problems.

Apple has also been outsourcing Mac product repairs to remote depots, and Genius employees have kept up with dealing with troubleshooting, product repair pickups and other assistance.

The report says Apple’s U.S. stores are “fully operational” even after the COVID-19 closures and reopenings in the last few years.

See also: Apple to App Developers: Update or Get Out

PYMNTS wrote that Apple has been warning developers about a potential removal of their apps and games if they’ve not been updated for “a significant amount of time.” The report says developers will have 30 days to update their apps — after which time the app will reportedly be removed from sale.

Apple says this won’t apply to apps already on users’ devices.

“To make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs, we want to ensure that apps available on the App Store are functional and up-to-date,” Apple said. “We are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.”