One of the world’s largest smartphone chip manufacturers, the American company Qualcomm, will lay off employees worldwide as part of a "results-oriented reduction" strategy. Employees will begin receiving notice of layoffs from November 2026 based on the results of annual performance reviews.
One of the world’s largest smartphone chip manufacturers, the American company Qualcomm, will lay off employees worldwide as part of a "results-oriented reduction" strategy. Employees will begin receiving notice of layoffs from November 2026 based on the results of annual performance reviews.
Reuters reported this, citing an internal memo from the company’s CEO, Cristiano Amon. According to him, the cuts are part of efforts to create a "stronger culture of performance" and address problems in units that have long underperformed.
The memorandum did not specify the total number of employees subject to reductions. As of last fall, Qualcomm had about 52,000 employees worldwide. The optimization will take into account business priorities, organizational needs and specialist skills.
"As the business expands, so do the competencies and skills we need. We must have the right people in the right positions so that they can perform at their best and the company can continue to succeed," Cristiano Amon noted in the memo.
The change in approach was prompted by a slowdown in the consumer electronics market this year, where soaring memory prices have hurt demand for smartphones. This has also been reflected in financial performance: Qualcomm shares rose just 1,5% in 2026, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor index has grown much faster.
Qualcomm is now refocusing its business from mobile devices to related technology areas. According to financial forecasts, by 2027, the majority of the company’s chip sales should fall on new areas, in particular the market for data centers for artificial intelligence, which should compensate for the gradual decline in revenue from cooperation with Apple.
