Amazon is preparing for a major round of layoffs that could see tens of thousands of corporate employees lose their jobs, according to several media reports. The cuts are expected to begin as early as this week.
Both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters report that the company plans to eliminate up to 30,000 positions. The move forms part of a cost-cutting strategy led by chief executive Andy Jassy, aimed at streamlining operations and reshaping the company’s focus.
Amazon declined to comment when contacted by international media outlets.
Biggest job cuts since 2022
If confirmed, the layoffs would be among the largest in the technology sector this year. They would also mark Amazon’s biggest workforce reduction since 2022, when roughly 27,000 positions were cut over several months.
Reports from CNBC and The New York Times echoed these findings, citing people familiar with internal discussions. The specific departments or regions affected have not yet been identified.
Corporate staff heavily affected
The job cuts are expected to impact around ten percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce. Despite the scale, that number represents only a small fraction of the company’s total global staff of more than 1.5 million employees.
According to U.S. government filings, Amazon employs about 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, including executives, managers, and sales professionals.
Pandemic hiring boom now reversing
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon expanded rapidly to handle the surge in online shopping and delivery services. The company hired tens of thousands of new employees to keep up with unprecedented consumer demand.
Now, CEO Andy Jassy is tightening budgets and emphasizing efficiency. Amazon is also investing heavily in artificial intelligence to cut costs and boost long-term productivity.
AI transforming Amazon’s workforce
In June, Jassy said that increased use of artificial intelligence will reshape the company’s employment structure. Automation, he noted, will take over routine tasks while creating new roles in other areas.
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today,” Jassy said. “And more people doing new kinds of work that these technologies make possible.”
