Apple has long been out of the mass layoffs that swept through Silicon Valley’s biggest IT giants, but the brand still hasn’t been able to avoid the cuts. As Apple Insider reports, the Cupertino-based company has begun reducing freelancers.

Freelancers aren’t technically Apple employees – they work outside of Apple Park and have no health insurance. They are often part of various company teams and assist them in projects. Employment contracts are renewed every one or one and a half years.

However, according to Apple Insider, Apple refused to renew contracts and began reducing the number of freelancers. According to preliminary data, the total number of layoffs could reach thousands, given the size of the company.