Reuters: Qualcomm to Cut Jobs Under Cost Pressure; CEO Memo Gives No Numbers, Notices From November
Reuters reported on October 20 that U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm will carry out a performance-focused round of layoffs. An employee memo from Chief Executive Cristiano Amon dated Monday, October 19, reviewed by Reuters, said the move follows annual performance reviews and is aimed at building a stronger performance culture and addressing persistent underperformance; notifications to affected employees will begin in November.
The memo did not disclose how many jobs will be cut, and Reuters said it could not determine the scale of the reductions. Qualcomm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company employs about 52,000 people worldwide as of last September.
The memo listed business priorities, organizational needs and employee skill sets among the factors considered, the report said. Qualcomm faces soft consumer electronics demand and memory-chip price increases weighing on device demand; its shares have risen only modestly this year, its late-July guidance fell short of expectations, and revenue from Apple is declining faster, with the company counting on non-handset businesses such as data centers to offset that by fiscal 2027.
Qualcomm is headquartered in San Diego, California, and is a leading global supplier of smartphone processors and mobile communications chips. The scale and financial impact of the cuts await further company statements and earnings reports.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 高通位于加州 San Diego 的总部（资料图）。Coolcaesar 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布／Qualcomm headquarters in San Diego, California (file photo). Photo by Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
