Qualcomm to cut jobs globally after employee reviews, CEO sends memo to staff

Qualcomm is preparing to cut jobs worldwide from November as its smartphone chip business faces challenges. The company has not revealed how many employees will be affected.

In Short

• Qualcomm plans to cut jobs worldwide from November
• CEO Cristiano Amon says the move aims to strengthen performance standards
• The company had around 52,000 employees worldwide, in 2025

Qualcomm has decided to lay off employees amid a slowdown in its smartphone chip business. The chipmaker giant is reportedly planning job cuts worldwide from November as part of a performance-focused restructuring following its annual employee reviews. CEO Cristiano Amon reportedly informed staff about the planned cuts in an internal memo on Monday. However, the company has not disclosed how many employees will be affected.

According to Reuters, the job cuts come as Qualcomm faces challenges in its smartphone chip business and looks to expand into other areas, including data centres, automotive technology and connected devices. The company has also forecast lower-than-expected profits and expects revenue from Apple products to decline faster than anticipated.

Why is Qualcomm cutting jobs?

In the memo reviewed by Reuters, Amon said the cuts were intended to build a stronger performance culture and address situations where employees had consistently fallen short of expectations.

Qualcomm will also consider its business priorities, organisational needs and employees' skills and expertise when deciding which roles will be affected.

"As we have expanded the business, so have the competencies and skills we require," Amon wrote in the memo. "We must have the right people in the right roles so they can perform at their best and the company can continue to succeed."

The company has not shared details about the number of jobs it plans to cut or the teams that could be affected. According to the report, employees are expected to start receiving notifications in November.

Smartphone chip business faces challenges

Qualcomm's job cuts come at a time when its smartphone chip business is facing challenges. Demand for consumer electronics is under pressure, while rising memory prices are making smartphones more expensive in key markets.

The company's financial outlook has also raised concerns. In its July earnings report, Qualcomm forecast quarterly profit below analysts' expectations. It also said revenue from Apple products would fall faster than previously expected.

However, Qualcomm is looking to grow beyond smartphones. The company expects its data centre, automotive and other non-handset businesses to grow enough to offset the expected decline in Apple-related revenue by the 2027 financial year.

Qualcomm looks beyond smartphones

Qualcomm is also reportedly planning to expand into areas such as AI data centres, automotive technology and connected devices as it looks to rely less on the smartphone market. The company expects most of its chip sales to come from businesses outside smartphones in the 2027 financial year.

The company expects most of its chip sales to come from businesses outside smartphones in the 2027 financial year. As its business expands, Amon said Qualcomm needs to ensure that its workforce has the right skills and expertise to meet its changing requirements.

Qualcomm has not disclosed how many employees will lose their jobs or which teams and locations will be affected. The company had around 52,000 employees worldwide as of September 2025.

According to Reuters, affected employees are expected to start receiving notifications in November as Qualcomm reshapes its workforce to meet changing business priorities.

- Ends