Apple announces more job cuts

A restructuring at Apple Computer that began last quarter will result in additional job cuts this year, the Mac maker said in a regulatory filing on Thursday.

Apple said a reorganisation of its sales and marketing efforts will result in 148 job cuts over the course of the current fiscal year, which ends in September. The cuts are in addition to 200 jobs that were eliminated when the company closed its Sacramento, California plant in April. Apple said in April that it was making the cuts, but did not say how many jobs were affected.

The company detailed the cuts late Thursday in its quarterly filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Apple took a $9.6m restructuring charge last quarter, and the company said in the filing that it expects to take another $10m charge in the current quarter, largely related to finalising the plant closure.

The company said the job cuts and the plant closing should save it $6m per quarter in operating expenses. Shuttering the plant alone should save the company $3m per quarter, Apple Executive Vice President Tim Cook said at last month's shareholder meeting.

Although Apple has pared jobs on several occasions in recent years, the company has continued to grow its overall ranks. Much of the hiring has come as the company has expanded its network of Apple-owned retail stores.

Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com