There's no surprise why Apple Inc. is under less pressure than tech peers to slash jobs during the current slowdown: It hired more efficiently in the first place.

During the industry’s pandemic-fueled hiring binge, Apple added fewer employees than other big tech firms. Apple's headcount increased just 20% from 2020 to 2022, compared with a 60% gain at Alphabet and a near-doubling at Amazon. Those two companies recently went on to announce playoffs of roughly 30,000 combined.

On top of that, the company generated far more revenue per new hire than its peers, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Though Apple has frozen hiring in some areas and is keeping a lid on spending — especially outside research and development — it hasn’t yet resorted to the mass layoffs underway at Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Meta Platforms Inc. and other tech giants.

Saxo Bank A/S’s Peter Garnry commented that "This signals a better quality of management at Apple compared to other technology companies that clearly read the signals during the pandemic the wrong way."

To shore up its human resources, Apple hired Carol Surface from Medtronic to be Apple's Chief People Officer starting next month. For more, read the full Bloomberg report.