Amazon is reportedly preparing to implement a second wave of corporate layoffs as early as next week, continuing its broader plan to eliminate roughly 30,000 white-collar roles.
Sources familiar with the matter say the upcoming reductions could closely resemble last year’s cuts, when the company eliminated approximately 14,000 corporate positions.
Amazon Divisions Likely Impacted by Layoffs
While Amazon has not officially confirmed the move, the timing suggests the company’s workforce restructuring is entering a decisive new phase. Insiders say the next round could begin as soon as Tuesday, with multiple business units affected.
According to internal sources, several high-profile divisions may be hit, including:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Core retail operations
- Prime Video
- Human Resources, internally known as People Experience and Technology
The final scope remains subject to change, as Amazon leadership could adjust targets before execution. Still, if carried out as expected, the layoffs would represent the largest workforce reduction in Amazon’s 30-year history, surpassing the 27,000 corporate roles cut in 2022.
AI, Efficiency, and Shift in Amazon’s Culture
Amazon initially framed its earlier layoffs around rapid advances in artificial intelligence, calling AI the most transformative technology since the internet. However, CEO Andy Jassy later clarified that the deeper driver was not AI alone, but a more serious cultural problem.
Jassy acknowledged that years of growth had created excessive bureaucracy and layered management, slowing decision-making and innovation. The restructuring aims to flatten the organization, reduce redundancy, and restore operational speed.
At the same time, Jassy has openly stated that AI-driven efficiencies will gradually reduce the need for certain corporate roles, reinforcing the long-term nature of these changes.
Layoffs For Amazon Employees
Once the 30,000-job reduction takes place, it would amount to nearly 10% of its corporate workforce, though only a small fraction of its total 1.58 million global employees, per Reuters.
The vast majority of Amazon’s workforce remains in fulfillment centers, logistics, and delivery operations.
Employees affected in the previous layoff round were given a 90-day transition period to apply for internal roles or seek external opportunities.
Originally published on Tech Times
