Amazon is preparing to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs, marking its biggest round of white-collar layoffs since 2022. The reductions will affect nearly 10% of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate employees, though the company’s total global workforce of 1.55 million remains largely unchanged.
The layoffs are expected across multiple divisions, including human resources (People Experience and Technology, PXT), Amazon Web Services (AWS), operations, and devices. Managers have reportedly received training to notify affected staff as part of the process.
Amazon cites increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation as key reasons for the layoffs. CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized streamlining operations and reducing management layers to improve efficiency. Earlier this year, an internal system flagged operational inefficiencies, leading to hundreds of process adjustments.
Analysts note that the layoffs are also influenced by Amazon’s return-to-office policy. Employees unable to comply with the mandate due to distance or personal reasons may be classified as voluntarily resigning and might not receive severance. Reports indicate that the HR division alone could see reductions of up to 15%.
Despite these cuts, Amazon is preparing for a strong holiday season by planning to hire 250,000 seasonal workers. Meanwhile, AWS, the company’s largest profit generator, has reported slower growth compared to competitors and recently experienced a major outage affecting services like Snapchat and Venmo.
Amazon’s stock closed 1.2% higher at $226.97, ahead of its third-quarter earnings report scheduled for Thursday. Officials have stated that the final number of layoffs may change depending on financial results and operational requirements.
In other related news also read Amazon Plans Massive Corporate Job Cuts Amid Restructure
This round of job cuts highlights Amazon’s focus on cost efficiency, AI-driven productivity, and organizational restructuring, reflecting ongoing efforts to balance workforce optimization with business growth.
