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Apple is issuing smaller raises to its retail employees this year, marking a deceleration from atypically large pay hikes during the pandemic, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company is disclosing average annual raises this week of roughly 4%, a return to the levels from 2020 and earlier, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The latest range was typically between 2% and 5%, they said.
The increases also apply to AppleCare technical support employees, who got raises in the same range. That too represented a slowdown from pandemic gains. The pay increases accompany employee reviews, which just began and run into early October.
Apple raised pay more aggressively last year, when it was facing labor shortages and a budding unionization effort. Employees saw increases of roughly 8% to 10% annually. The company also boosted its minimum hourly compensation to $22 from $20.
The pressure has eased since then. Wage growth has cooled in the US, and labor organizing campaigns haven’t gained much traction in 2023. Out of Apple’s roughly 270 US locations, just two — in Maryland and Oklahoma — have voted to unionize.
Inflation also spurred last year’s more generous raises. Consumer price increases have slowed in 2023, though they picked up again in August due to higher gasoline costs.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the US, most Apple salespeople are now getting paid $22 to $30 an hour, while AppleCare roles can bring in slightly more. The Cupertino, California-based company also issues restricted stock units annually to both categories of employee. In most cases, those packages topped out at around $2,000 this year. The iPhone maker issued rare bonuses for some workers as well.
