Amazon set to announce biggest layoffs in company history, cutting up to 30,000 jobs
If confirmed, this would mark the largest round of job cuts in Amazon’s history and one of the most significant workforce reductions in the global tech industry since 2020.
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Amazon is reportedly preparing to announce the largest corporate layoffs in its history, with plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs across multiple divisions as part of a major cost-cutting drive.
According to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke to CNBC on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, employees are expected to begin receiving layoff notifications via email from Tuesday morning. The cuts will span almost every business unit, the source said.
While Amazon declined to comment publicly, the move was first reported by Reuters, which said the layoffs could affect as many as 30,000 corporate employees.
Amazon, the world’s second-largest private employer, currently has more than 1.54 million staff globally, including around 350,000 corporate workers. The remainder of its workforce is largely made up of warehouse employees.
If confirmed, this would mark the largest round of job cuts in Amazon’s history and one of the most significant workforce reductions in the global tech industry since 2020, according to data from Layoffs.fyi. The website reported that over 200 technology firms have collectively laid off approximately 98,000 workers since the start of this year alone.
Other major tech companies have also reduced headcount in recent months. Microsoft has reportedly let go of about 15,000 staff, while Meta recently cut 600 jobs within its artificial intelligence division. Google eliminated over 100 design-related roles in its cloud unit earlier this month, and Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff confirmed in September that 4,000 customer support employees were let go amid the company’s increasing use of AI. Intel has made the largest single cut so far this year, axing 22,000 jobs.
Amazon’s layoffs form part of a broader restructuring and efficiency programme launched by chief executive Andy Jassy during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company has been trimming its workforce since 2022, cutting more than 27,000 positions over the past two years, with recent rounds affecting its cloud, retail, devices and communications divisions.
Jassy has previously stated that he intends to streamline Amazon’s corporate hierarchy by reducing managerial layers to “remove complexity and flatten organisations.”
Speaking to employees in June, Jassy also suggested that further reductions could follow as Amazon integrates generative AI into its operations, saying the company “will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs.”
