Apple cuts 174 sales jobs in Elk Grove

Apple Inc. eliminated 174 sales jobs at its Elk Grove campus Thursday.

All affected employees were offered the option to relocate to a work site in Austin, Texas, or apply for another position at Apple in Elk Grove.

The job that were cut are Mac telephone-sales positions, said Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for the company. She said some telephone-sales jobs will remain in Elk Grove, though she declined to say how many.

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"Apple's headcount continues to grow in Elk Grove with more than 1,100 employees working there today, up more than 50 percent in the past three years," Huguet said, reading a statement Apple issued Thursday.

Huguet declined to disclose the salary range of the effected employees.

The company has warehousing and distribution operations in Elk Grove, as well as a customer support call center.

It was news to the city when employees first heard rumors of the layoffs Wednesday, said Steve Czarnecki, executive director for the Elk Grove Economic Development Corp.

While it's unfortunate when someone loses a job, Apple's offer to relocate the affected workers somewhat mitigates the downside, he said.

Besides approximately 1,100 permanent workers, Czarnecki said another 800 temporary workers are employed by Apple in Elk Grove, for a total work force of about 1,900.

"When you look at the growth that Apple has enjoyed here in Elk Grove they still are a very significant employer in our community," Czarnecki said. "We're still looking forward to them growing and expanding their operations here in Elk Grove."

Shares of Cupertino-based Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) closed Thursday at $180.00 per share, up $6.05, or 3.5 percent.