Qualcomm layoffs: Chipmaker to cut jobs globally from November after performance reviews
Qualcomm will cut jobs across its global workforce as part of a performance-focused restructuring following its annual employee reviews, with notifications expected to begin in November, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The report cited a memo from chief executive Cristiano Amon to employees. It did not specify the number of positions that would be eliminated.
Amon said the proposed move was aimed at building a stronger performance culture and addressing cases where employees had consistently fallen short of expectations. The company will consider business priorities, organisational requirements, and the skills and expertise needed for its operations while deciding on the reductions, the memo read.
"As we have expanded the business, so have the competencies and skills we require," Amon wrote, according to Reuters. "We must have the right people in the right roles so they can perform at their best and the company can continue to succeed," he added.
Qualcomm had approximately 52,000 employees globally as of September 2025, most of them full-time, the Reuters report mentioned further.
The development comes as Qualcomm is navigating weakness in consumer electronics demand, amid rising memory prices. The company is one of the world's largest suppliers of chips for smartphones.
Qualcomm's shares have gained just 1.5% in 2026, compared with a rise of more than 12% in the benchmark S&P 500 and an increase of nearly 60% in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index.
In its July earnings report, Qualcomm forecast quarterly profit below market estimates and said revenue from Apple-related products would decline faster than previously expected.
The company, however, expects growth in data centres and other businesses beyond smartphones to more than offset the lost revenue by fiscal 2027. It has been expanding into the artificial intelligence data-centre market as it seeks to diversify beyond its traditional handset business.
Qualcomm expects non-smartphone businesses to account for the majority of its chip sales in fiscal 2027, according to Reuters.
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