Amazon Plans Massive Job Cuts – 30,000 Employees to Be Laid Off

Cost-cutting measures and AI adoption cited as key reasons

Amazon is preparing for another round of massive layoffs. According to reliable sources, the company plans to cut 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday, as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce operational costs. The move reportedly targets employees hired during the pandemic, when demand surged.

Although the total number may seem small compared to Amazon’s global workforce of 1.55 million, it represents about 10% of its 350,000 corporate staff. This will be Amazon’s largest layoff since 2022, when it let go of 27,000 employees.

The layoffs are expected to affect key departments such as Human Resources (People Experience and Technology), Operations, Devices, Services, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Impacted employees are likely to receive notifications via email starting Tuesday morning. Reports suggest that managers were given special training on how to handle the layoff communication on Monday.

Why the cuts?
CEO Andy Jassy is said to be focusing on streamlining internal operations and eliminating redundant processes. Additionally, the growing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has automated several repetitive tasks, leading to reduced human dependency. Analysts also point out that Amazon’s “five days a week in office” rule, which came into effect earlier this year, did not lead to the voluntary resignations the company expected — forcing it to take direct action.

Despite the layoffs, Amazon plans to hire 250,000 temporary workers to meet seasonal demand during the upcoming holiday season. Meanwhile, its most profitable unit, AWS, has been witnessing slower growth compared to competitors like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. The company is set to release its third-quarter financial results on Thursday.