Apple terminated over 600 employees in California as it concluded its projects related to car and smartwatch displays, as revealed in filings with the California Employment Development Department. 

The Cupertino, California-headquartered company submitted eight distinct reports to comply with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) program. This requirement mandates that companies file a report with the state agency for every California address where employees are affected by a layoff. 

Among those affected, at least 87 individuals were employed at an address linked to a confidential Apple facility dedicated to developing next-generation screens, while the remainder were situated at buildings associated with the car project. 

In late February, Apple commenced the gradual winding down of both projects, which were viewed as ambitious endeavours aimed at advancing the company's technology capabilities or venturing into significant new domains. 

The decision to terminate the car project was prompted by executive indecision regarding its direction and concerns over its costs. Similarly, challenges related to engineering, suppliers, and costs led to the closure of the display program. 

According to the reports submitted, 371 employees were laid off at Apple's primary office dedicated to the car project in Santa Clara, California, with additional staff affected at various satellite offices. In certain instances, individuals from the Apple car team were reassigned to other departments, such as those focusing on artificial intelligence or personal robotics. 

An Apple spokeswoman declined to provide specifics regarding the number of employees impacted by the job cuts. Additionally, the WARN notices do not fully capture the extent of the layoffs, as Apple had numerous engineers involved in both projects across various locations, including Arizona.