Amazon Plans Major Layoffs: 30,000 Jobs at Risk
Amazon, the American tech and e-commerce giant, is set to lay off approximately 30,000 corporate employees, making it one of the largest job cuts in the company’s history. This move is expected to impact various divisions, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), human resources, Prime Video, and retail operations. The layoffs come on the heels of a previous reduction of 14,000 jobs last year, with indications that the current cuts may follow a similar trend.
As of September 2025, Amazon had around 1.57 million employees globally, with about 350,000 in corporate roles. The planned cuts represent a significant 10% reduction of the corporate workforce. This layoff is notable as it marks the largest in 30 years, following a previous cut of 27,000 roles in 2022. Employees affected in last year's layoffs were provided a 90-day notice period to seek new opportunities, either internally or externally, which will expire on January 26, 2026.
The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been cited as a contributing factor to these layoffs. An internal memo highlighted that AI is transforming how companies operate, allowing them to innovate much faster. However, during a recent earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy clarified that the layoffs are not primarily driven by AI or financial issues but relate to the company’s culture, indicating an excess of staff and layers within the organization.
Jassy anticipates that as AI continues to evolve, it will lead to a further reduction of the corporate workforce by 2025. The integration of AI technologies is becoming increasingly prevalent in corporate strategies, with many companies adopting AI to automate routine tasks and streamline operations. Amazon's AWS is also at the forefront of this technological shift, showcasing its latest AI models during its annual cloud computing conference.
As Amazon navigates through this transformative phase, the impending layoffs underscore the significant changes taking place within the company. Employees and stakeholders alike will be watching closely to see how these developments unfold and what they mean for the future of work at Amazon.
