Amazon is planning to cut as many as 30,000 corporate roles, starting this week, according to sources familiar with the matter. While this number represents only a small fraction of Amazon's global workforce of about 1.55 million, it amounts to nearly 10 % of its roughly 350,000 corporate employees.
The move comes as Amazon seeks to correct what it calls "over-hiring" during the pandemic boom and reorganise its business under chief executive Andy Jassy. Jassy has previously warned that advances in generative AI and automation will lead to fewer roles in white-collar corporate functions.
Departments expected to be most affected include Human Resources (known internally as People Experience & Technology or PXT), operations, devices & services, and cloud services. Some reports indicate the HR division alone could face cuts of about 15 %. Amazon has reportedly instructed managers of impacted teams to undergo training in how to deliver layoff notices, with staff notifications set to begin Tuesday via email
The announcement has drawn mixed reactions: the company's shares rose about 1.2 % on the news, despite concerns about morale and future hiring. Observers say the decimation of corporate headcount reflects broader industry trends where large tech firms are increasingly using AI and automation to streamline operations.
Amazon emphasises that, while it is reducing roles in some parts of the business, it continues to expand hiring in key growth areas. For example, many open positions remain in its cloud computing wing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and for its AI infrastructure build-out.
Still, for employees facing layoff emails and organisational reshuffling, the shift is abrupt. Internal sources describe the mood as tense: "It's hard to even know where you stand," one said, describing the environment as "leaner, quieter, faster."
As Amazon embarks on this major restructuring chapter, the implications extend beyond head-count. The company is reshaping how corporate work is done, signalling that one of the world's biggest employers is recalibrating for an AI-driven, lower-bureaucracy future.
