Amazon is preparing to lay off tens of thousands of office employees in a major restructuring, multiple media reports say. The layoffs could start as early as this week.
According to The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, the company plans to eliminate up to 30,000 positions. The cuts are part of a cost-cutting and efficiency drive led by CEO Andy Jassy, aimed at streamlining operations and refocusing company priorities.
Amazon declined to comment when contacted by international news organizations.
Largest workforce reduction since 2022
If confirmed, the layoffs would be among the biggest in the tech industry this year. They would also mark Amazon’s largest job cuts since 2022, when roughly 27,000 employees were let go over several months.
Reports from CNBC and The New York Times cited sources familiar with internal discussions. The outlets did not specify which regions or departments will be affected most.
Corporate employees bear the brunt
The planned layoffs could impact about ten percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce. Despite the scale, the reductions represent only a small portion of the company’s total global staff of more than 1.5 million employees.
U.S. filings show Amazon employs roughly 350,000 corporate workers worldwide, including executives, managers, and sales professionals.
Pandemic hiring boom now reverses
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon expanded rapidly to meet surging demand for online shopping and home deliveries. The company added tens of thousands of employees as millions of customers shifted to e-commerce.
Now, under CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon is prioritizing cost control 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 workforce
Jassy said in June that artificial intelligence will significantly alter staffing needs. Automation, he explained, will replace many routine tasks while creating new roles in emerging 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 enable.”
