Amazon is preparing to cut tens of thousands of corporate jobs as part of a sweeping global restructuring plan, according to several media reports. The layoffs could begin as early as this week.
Both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters report that Amazon plans to eliminate up to 30,000 positions. The move forms part of a cost-cutting strategy led by chief executive Andy Jassy, who is seeking to streamline the company after years of rapid expansion.
Amazon declined to comment when contacted by international news organizations.
Biggest staff reduction since 2022
If confirmed, the layoffs would represent one of the largest job cuts in the technology sector this year. It would also mark Amazon’s biggest reduction since 2022, when the company dismissed around 27,000 workers over several months.
Reports from CNBC and The New York Times confirmed similar figures, citing individuals familiar with internal discussions. None of the reports specified which regions or departments would be most affected.
Corporate divisions to take the hardest hit
The planned cuts could affect around ten percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce. Despite the large number, it remains a small fraction of the company’s overall global staff, which exceeds 1.5 million employees across offices and warehouses.
According to filings submitted to the U.S. government last year, Amazon employs roughly 350,000 corporate staff worldwide, including executives, managers, and sales professionals.
Rapid pandemic hiring gives way to downsizing
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon expanded aggressively to meet soaring demand for online shopping and digital services. The company hired tens of thousands of new employees to handle the surge in orders.
Now, CEO Andy Jassy is focused on tightening budgets and improving efficiency. Amazon has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence to increase productivity and cut operational costs.
AI driving changes in Amazon’s workforce
In June, Jassy said the growing use of AI tools will inevitably reshape the company’s employment structure. Automation, he explained, will replace many repetitive and routine tasks.
“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 come with this technology.”
