Qualcomm, a US chip designer best known for smartphone processors and modems, will cut jobs worldwide after its annual employee reviews, according to a Monday memo to staff from CEO Cristiano Amon.

Employee notices will begin in November as part of a “performance-focused reduction.”

Amon said the cuts aim to build “a stronger performance culture” and address cases where the company “has consistently fallen short of expectations.”

The memo did not say how many roles would be affected. Qualcomm had about 52,000 employees globally as of September 2025.

Qualcomm has been hit by weak consumer electronics demand. In July, it forecast quarterly profit below estimates and said revenue from Apple products would fall faster than expected.

The company expects growth in data center and other non-handset businesses to more than offset that lost revenue by fiscal 2027. Its 2023 agreement covers 5G chip supplies to Apple through 2026.

In January 2024, Samsung flagged a 35% drop in quarterly profit, citing weak smartphone and personal computer demand.

In California, layoffs covered by Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification requirements require public notices filed with the state.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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