Amazon is preparing to cut tens of thousands of office jobs in a sweeping corporate restructuring, multiple media reports say. The layoffs could begin as soon as this week.
According to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, the company plans to eliminate up to 30,000 positions. The move is part of a cost-cutting strategy led by CEO Andy Jassy, aimed at streamlining operations and refocusing the company’s priorities.
Amazon declined to comment when approached by international media outlets.
Biggest layoffs since 2022
If confirmed, the cuts would be among the largest in the tech sector this year. They would also mark Amazon’s biggest workforce reduction since 2022, when around 27,000 employees were dismissed over several months.
Reports from CNBC and The New York Times cited sources familiar with internal discussions. The reports did not specify which divisions or regions will face the largest reductions.
Corporate staff hardest hit
The layoffs could affect roughly ten percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce. Despite the scale, the cuts would still represent only a small portion of the company’s total global staff of more than 1.5 million employees.
According to U.S. government filings, Amazon employs about 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, including executives, managers, and sales professionals.
Pandemic hiring boom now reverses
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon hired aggressively to meet surging demand for online shopping and delivery services. The company added tens of thousands of employees as millions of customers shifted to e-commerce.
Now, under CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon is focusing on cost reduction and operational efficiency. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to improve productivity and streamline operations.
AI set to reshape jobs at Amazon
Jassy said in June that AI would significantly alter staffing needs. Automation, he explained, will replace routine tasks while creating new roles 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.”
