Amazon layoffs: Thousands of corporate jobs on chopping block as giant seeks to trim workforce by 30,000 — All we know
American technology and e-commerce giant Amazon plans to cut thousands of corporate jobs next week as part of a plan to reduce its workforce by 30,000 people, Reuters reported, citing sources.
It added that these layoffs, among the largest companies, are likely to affect white-collar roles in divisions including Amazon Web Services (AWS), the People Experience and Technology unit (human resources), Prime Video and retail. Sources added that plans could change.
In October last year, Amazon cut 14,000 white-collar jobs (about half of its target of 30,000) and is expected to do the same this year, according to sources.
The report stated that an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
How many employees does Amazon have?
According to a Bloomberg report, by September 2025, Amazon had a total of 1.57 million employees, the majority of whom worked in warehouses.
The corporate workforce consists of around 3,50,000 people, he added.
The Reuters report added that the 30,000 cuts would amount to 10% of the company’s corporate workforce. Notably, this is the biggest layoff in 30 years after Amazon cut 27,000 roles in 2022.
Those laid off in October were given 90 days of pay stipend to look for work outside or other roles inside. It was stated that this period will end on January 26, 2026 (Monday).
Artificial intelligence-driven layoffs?
The Reuters report added that Amazon’s layoffs in October were tied to the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) software. “This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we have seen since the internet, allowing companies to innovate faster than ever before,” an internal memo said.
Later, during the company’s Q3 earnings call, CEO Andy Jassy told analysts that the disruptions were not driven by AI or finances, but rather “culture.” He added: “You meet a lot more people than you ever had before and you encounter a lot more layers.”
Jassy said he expects the company’s corporate workforce to decrease as AI productivity increases in 2025.
To save costs, companies are increasingly using AI to write code for their software and adopting AI agents that automate routine tasks, the Reuters report said. Amazon’s AWS introduced its latest AI models at its annual cloud computing conference in December.
(With input from institutions)
