Apple is laying off a small number of employees from its corporate retail teams, according to sources familiar with the matter. This is the first internal layoff since last year.

The layoffs extend to the so-called development and maintenance teams responsible for the construction and maintenance of Apple retail stores and other facilities around the world. At the same time, the exact number of positions to be eliminated has not been reported. The iPhone manufacturer did not respond to a request for comment.

In February, it was learned that the revenues of US technology companies will decrease significantly in 2022 due to the decrease in sales due to the economic crisis. Apple shares fell 5.6% amid reduced demand.

Fear of an economic downturn due to rising interest rates has led to a series of major layoffs in the United States in recent months. Facebook’s parent company Meta became the first major tech company to announce a second round of mass layoffs last month, saying it will cut 10,000 jobs this year.