Amazon has confirmed a new set of 16,000 corporate job cuts, bringing total reductions since October to almost 30,000 jobs.
The latest round, which is the biggest shake-up in the company’s history, cuts into Amazon’s white-collar ranks.
While the company still employs more than 1.5 million people worldwide, mostly in warehouses and delivery operations, this development strips away close to one in ten corporate roles. It also leaves the door open to further reductions in subsequent months.
Management says the decision is about speed and proper management. In a message to staff, Amazon’s chief people officer, Beth Galetti, said the company was acting to strengthen itself by “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy”.
She added that some teams would continue to “make adjustments as appropriate”, a line that has done little to calm nerves internally.
Under chief executive Andy Jassy, Amazon has been walking away from businesses that failed to justify years of investment. Just days before the layoffs were confirmed, the company said it would shut its remaining Amazon Fresh grocery shops and Amazon Go convenience stores, and abandon its Amazon One palm-scan payment system.
All three had been pitched as bold bets on the future of retail. None delivered at scale.
The cuts span much of the company. Staff in Amazon Web Services, Alexa, Prime Video, devices, advertising and last-mile delivery have reported being affected.
An internal email, sent in error to some employees, appeared to label the restructuring “Project Dawn”, a phrase that quickly spread across internal chats and unsettled thousands of workers, particularly within AWS. Amazon declined to explain the reference.
This is the second major round of layoffs in just three months. In October, Amazon said it would eliminate 14,000 corporate jobs, noting over-hiring during the pandemic and a need to adapt to rapid changes in how work gets done.
“As we roll out more Generative AI and agents, it should change the way our work is done. We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy wrote to staff last summer.
Amazon says this does not mean a new cycle of constant job cuts, both corporate and other jobs. Galetti addressed that concern, saying: “Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm – where we announce broad reductions every few months. That’s not our plan.”
Still, she confirmed Amazon would continue to review teams and reshape them where needed.
Beyond Seattle, the impact is being felt globally. Employees in India are expected to be hit harder in this phase, particularly in AWS and Prime Video, according to people familiar with the matter.
That shows a big transition, as Amazon concentrates resources on fewer, more profitable lines while pushing automation more into its operations. The company has already invested heavily in robotics across its warehouses to cut expenses and speed up deliveries.
Amazon is not alone. Across Big Tech, the post-pandemic hiring spree is being unwound. Meta, Microsoft and Google have all trimmed staff as they redirect cash and talent towards advanced computing and automation.
Outside tech, UPS, Pinterest and ASML have also announced layoffs in recent days. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, executives acknowledged that while new jobs will emerge, automation is already changing who companies need, and how many.
For investors, the market reaction was muted. Amazon shares edged up slightly in pre-market trading ahead of the company’s quarterly results next week.
For employees, many affected workers will be given time to apply for internal roles, while those who leave will receive severance and benefits.
