Amazon prepares second major layoff round, targets 30,000 corporate jobs amid restructuring drive

After cutting 14,000 white-collar roles in October, Amazon is preparing another round of job cuts next week, affecting key divisions as the company reshapes its corporate structure.

Amazon is preparing to implement a second round of corporate job cuts as early as next week, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move is part of the company’s broader plan to reduce around 30,000 white-collar roles globally.

In October, the technology and e-commerce giant had already eliminated nearly 14,000 corporate positions, accounting for roughly half of the planned reduction. Senior executives have now indicated internally that the next phase of layoffs could begin from Tuesday, with affected employees likely to receive gate-pass notifications from that day onwards.

Amazon has declined to comment officially on the development.

People aware of the discussions said the upcoming layoffs are expected to impact several major divisions. These include Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s powerful cloud computing arm; its core retail business; Prime Video; and the People Experience and Technology unit, which manages human resources. However, they cautioned that the final scope and exact numbers may still change as plans are not yet fully locked.

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The earlier October layoffs were linked internally to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In an internal note, Amazon had described generative AI as the most transformative technology since the internet, enabling faster innovation and higher efficiency.

However, during the company’s third-quarter earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy clarified that the job cuts were not purely driven by economic pressures or AI adoption. Instead, he pointed to cultural issues within the organisation, saying Amazon had become too bureaucratic over time, with excessive layers and overlapping roles.

Jassy had also stated earlier this year that the use of AI tools would gradually reduce the size of Amazon’s corporate workforce, as companies increasingly rely on automation, AI-generated code and intelligent agents to handle routine tasks and cut costs. Amazon highlighted its latest AI models during its annual AWS cloud computing conference held in December.

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While 30,000 jobs represent only a small fraction of Amazon’s total global workforce of about 1.58 million employees, the impact is significant within its corporate structure, where the cuts amount to nearly 10% of staff. Most of Amazon’s employees continue to work in fulfillment centers and warehouses.

If completed, this will mark the largest layoff exercise in Amazon’s three-decade history. The company had previously cut around 27,000 roles in 2022.

Employees affected in October were given a 90-day paid period to apply for internal roles or seek external opportunities. That transition period is set to end on Monday, just ahead of the next expected round of layoffs.