Amazon is preparing to slash tens of thousands of office positions as part of a sweeping global restructuring, multiple media reports indicate. The layoffs could begin as early as this week.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters suggest the company plans to eliminate up to 30,000 jobs. The move is part of a cost-cutting strategy led by CEO Andy Jassy, designed to streamline operations and shift the company’s focus toward efficiency and innovation.
Amazon declined to comment when approached by international media.
Largest workforce reduction since 2022
If confirmed, the layoffs would rank among the biggest in the tech sector this year. They would also mark Amazon’s largest corporate job cuts since 2022, when around 27,000 employees were let go over several months.
CNBC and The New York Times also reported the planned reductions, citing sources familiar with internal discussions. The outlets did not specify which divisions or regions will be affected most.
Corporate staff face steep cuts
The planned layoffs could impact roughly ten percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce. Despite the scale, the cuts represent only a small portion of the company’s total global staff of more than 1.5 million employees.
U.S. government filings show Amazon employs about 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, including executives, managers, and sales professionals.
Pandemic hiring boom now reversed
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon hired aggressively to meet soaring demand for online shopping and home deliveries. The company expanded rapidly as millions of customers relied on e-commerce.
Now, CEO Andy Jassy is prioritizing cost reduction and operational efficiency. At the same time, Amazon is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to improve productivity and streamline operations.
AI expected to reshape workforce
Jassy said in June that AI will drive major changes in staffing. Automation, he explained, will replace many routine tasks while creating new opportunities 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.”
