Qualcomm Layoffs 2026: Official CEO Memo Confirms Job Cuts
Qualcomm layoffs are coming in November 2026, according to an internal memo from CEO Cristiano Amon first reported by Reuters, though the company has not disclosed exactly how many jobs will be cut or which teams will be affected.
What Did Qualcomm’s CEO Actually Say About the Layoffs?
According to Reuters’ reporting, CEO Cristiano Amon described the coming Qualcomm layoffs as a “performance-focused reduction,” tied to the company’s annual employee reviews rather than a single department shutdown.
Amon reportedly told staff the company had “consistently fallen short of expectations” in some areas, and added that “as we have expanded the business, so have the competencies and skills we require,” framing the Qualcomm layoffs as a realignment of the workforce to match the company’s changing business needs rather than a blanket cost-cutting exercise. This performance-review framing is itself notable, since it signals individual role evaluations driving the decisions rather than a single site or product line being shut down outright.
How Many Jobs Will Qualcomm Actually Cut?
Qualcomm has not disclosed a specific number of roles affected, and Reuters itself noted it could not immediately determine the scale of the cuts from the memo alone.
What is confirmed is the timing, employees whose roles are affected are expected to be notified starting in November 2026, with Qualcomm employing roughly 52,000 people worldwide as of its last fiscal year-end, giving some sense of scale without confirming an actual cut percentage. Until Qualcomm issues an official number or a WARN Act filing surfaces for this specific round, any headcount figure attached to these Qualcomm layoffs should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
How Do These Qualcomm Layoffs Compare to Past Rounds?
Qualcomm layoffs are not a new phenomenon for the company, which has gone through several rounds of job cuts in California alone over the past several years, each tied to different business pressures at the time.
Public WARN Act filings show Qualcomm cut 1,231 jobs in San Diego back in 2018 as part of an earlier cost-reduction plan, followed by a 1,064-employee reduction effective December 2023, and a smaller 226-employee cut with a September 2024 filing. What sets the newly announced round apart is how Amon has framed it, specifically tied to individual performance reviews rather than a department-wide restructuring or site closure, a different public explanation than the more straightforwardly cost-driven language used around these earlier rounds.
Why Is Qualcomm Cutting Jobs Right Now?
The coming Qualcomm layoffs follow a rough stretch for the company’s core smartphone chip business, which has been squeezed by soaring memory chip prices, a broader consumer electronics slowdown, and rising competition from MediaTek’s Dimensity processors.
Qualcomm’s own late-July earnings forecast came in below analyst expectations, and the company separately warned that revenue tied to Apple products would decline faster than previously expected. Rising chip fabrication costs have added further pressure on margins in its traditional handset business, squeezing the same division that has historically generated the bulk of Qualcomm’s profit.
Qualcomm isn’t the only major chip or tech company trimming its workforce this year, Microsoft announced its own layoffs affecting roughly 4,800 roles earlier in 2026, with similar cost pressures and an industry-wide shift in spending priorities playing out across several large technology companies at once. You can read our full breakdown of that round in our Microsoft layoffs coverage. Seen alongside each other, the Qualcomm layoffs and Microsoft’s own round point to a broader pattern of large tech and chip companies reshaping their workforces around AI and newer growth bets rather than their traditional core businesses.
Is Qualcomm Shifting Away From Smartphones?
Yes, Qualcomm expects non-smartphone businesses, including AI data centers, automotive chips, IoT devices, and PCs, to make up the majority of its chip sales starting in fiscal 2027.
This diversification push is central to how Qualcomm is framing its current restructuring, though some investors remain skeptical about exactly when these newer business lines will generate returns comparable to the smartphone chip business they’re meant to eventually replace. The timing of the Qualcomm layoffs alongside this diversification messaging suggests the company wants its workforce mix to shift toward these growth areas even as headcount in its traditional handset business shrinks.
Is the “226 Employees in San Diego” Figure Actually About This Round?
No, and this is worth correcting directly, a specific figure of 226 employees being laid off in San Diego starting November 12 has circulated alongside coverage of this announcement, but that figure actually traces back to a separate WARN Act filing from September 2024, not the new round announced in October 2026.
Confusing an older filing with new news is an easy mistake given the overlapping November dates across different years, but readers should treat any specific headcount number currently circulating for these Qualcomm layoffs as unconfirmed until Qualcomm or a verified WARN notice for 2026 states otherwise. For more technology and business coverage, check out our Technology section.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will affected Qualcomm employees be notified about layoffs?
Notifications are expected to begin in November 2026, according to the internal memo reported by Reuters.
How many employees does Qualcomm have worldwide?
Qualcomm employed roughly 52,000 people globally as of its last fiscal year-end, though this is a company-wide figure, not the number being laid off.
Has Qualcomm named which teams or locations will be affected?
No, Qualcomm has not specified which departments, teams, or office locations will see cuts as part of this round.
Is this round of layoffs connected to a 2024 San Diego WARN filing being shared online?
No, the 226-employee, November 12 figure being shared actually comes from a September 2024 WARN filing, a separate and earlier event from this newly announced 2026 round.
Has Qualcomm cut jobs in California before this round?
Yes, Qualcomm has filed multiple California WARN notices in past years, including cuts of 1,231 employees in 2018 and 1,064 employees in 2023, making job reductions a recurring pattern rather than a first-time event.