Apple's retail layoffs misstated?

Stephen Withers
Monday, 27 April 2009 07:20

Business IT - Technology

Apple is notoriously secretive, so it seems unlikely there will be any official word about the changes to Apple Store staffing.

And in much the same way as we're seeing dodgy interpretations of the retail FTE cuts, some commentators are asserting that Apple has reined in expenditure relating to business use of Steve Jobs' private plane.

That's drawing a long bow.

Given that Jobs has been on medical leave of absence since January, it's not surprising that Apple's recent 10Q filing shows no plane expenses were booked in the quarter.

But the filing shows Jobs' had already scaled back the use of his plane on company business in late 2008.

Reimbursement for the fourth calendar quarter of 2008 was just $US4000, compared with $550,000 for the corresponding period in 2007.

It seems like the media opinion pendulum is beginning to swing away from Apple again.