Amazon’s Biggest Layoff Drive Since 2023
Amazon is planning to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees starting Tuesday, according to a report by Reuters. The company, which currently employs about 1.55 million people worldwide, aims to reduce expenses after a period of over-hiring during the pandemic.
The cuts represent around 10% of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate workforce, marking one of the company’s largest rounds of layoffs in recent years.
Layoffs to Hit Multiple Departments
The job cuts are expected to affect employees across several divisions, including human resources, devices and services, operations, and other departments.
On Monday, Amazon managers overseeing affected teams reportedly attended training sessions on how to communicate the layoffs to their staff. Employees will begin receiving email notifications starting Tuesday morning, according to internal messages reviewed by Business Insider.
Affected employees will reportedly receive a severance package that includes full pay and benefits for 90 days following their termination.
Layoffs Spread Across the US, UK, and Canada
According to Business Insider, the layoffs will impact corporate employees working in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Internal company messages confirmed that regional managers were informed of the upcoming cuts last week.
Automation and AI Drive Future Reductions
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has previously hinted that the company’s increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation could result in further job reductions.
The company has been rapidly expanding the use of robots in warehouse operations, with Jassy noting that robots will soon outnumber human workers in several facilities. He added that automation has become essential to maintaining speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Past Layoffs and Seasonal Hiring Plans
This move follows a series of layoffs in 2023, when Amazon cut about 27,000 jobs across various departments in response to global economic challenges.
Despite the job cuts, the company continues to ramp up hiring for the holiday season — recently announcing plans to hire 250,000 seasonal employees to manage increased demand.
In Summary
Amazon’s latest round of layoffs underscores the company’s ongoing push to streamline operations and adapt to a more automated future. As the tech giant leans further into AI-driven efficiency, thousands of corporate roles are being re-evaluated — even as new seasonal jobs are added for the holidays.
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