Amazon to cut 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday, largest since 2022

Amazon will lay off around 30,000 corporate employees this week, its largest job cut since 2023, as CEO Andy Jassy pushes cost control, AI-driven efficiency, and leaner operations

E-commerce giant Amazon is set to cut around 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday (local time) as part of a major cost-cutting effort to streamline operations after overhiring during the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reported.

 

While the figure represents a small portion of Amazon’s 1.55 million total employees, it accounts for 10 per cent of the company’s roughly 350,000 corporate staff, marking the largest job reduction since the 27,000 layoffs carried out between late 2022 and early 2023.

 

The move follows a Fortune report that the company plans to cut up to 15 per cent of its human resources workforce, with further reductions expected across multiple divisions.

Smaller cuts over the past two years

 

According to Reuters, Amazon has been gradually reducing headcount across several business units over the past two years, including devices, communications, and podcasting.

 

Earlier reports by Bloomberg indicated that about 110 roles were recently eliminated in Amazon’s Wondery podcast division. In July 2025, the company laid off several hundred employees from its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud division, while in May, nearly 100 positions were cut from its devices and services unit.

Cuts to span multiple divisions

 

The latest round of layoffs is expected to affect several divisions, including:

 

• Human resources (People Experience and Technology)
• Devices and services
• Operations

 

Managers from the affected teams reportedly underwent training on Monday (local time) on how to communicate the layoffs, with email notifications to staff beginning Tuesday, Reuters said, citing people familiar with the matter.

 

The final number of job cuts remains uncertain and could change as Amazon’s financial priorities evolve, the report added.  ALSO READ | Meta to lay off 600 employees amid AI overhaul, top-tier staff retained

CEO Jassy seeks to reduce bureaucracy

 

Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy has been leading an initiative to eliminate what he calls excess bureaucracy, including the removal of certain managerial layers.

 

According to reports, Jassy introduced an anonymous complaint line to identify inefficiencies within the company. The initiative received over 1,500 responses, resulting in 450 process changes.

AI’s growing role in job reshaping

 

In June 2025, Jassy said artificial intelligence (AI) tools would increasingly automate repetitive tasks, likely leading to further job reductions.

 

“Those who embrace this change, become conversant in AI, help us build and improve our AI capabilities internally and deliver for customers, will be well-positioned to have high impact and help us reinvent the company,” Jassy told employees.

Amazon to hire 250,000 seasonal workers

 

Despite corporate downsizing, Amazon plans to hire 250,000 seasonal workers to handle increased demand during the holiday season.

 

Shares of Amazon rose 1.3 per cent to $227.11 near the close of trading on Monday. The company will report its third-quarter earnings on Thursday (local time).

98,000 tech layoffs so far in 2025

 

According to data from Layoffs.fyi, nearly 98,000 tech jobs have been cut so far in 2025 across 216 companies. The total for 2024 stood at 153,000, reflecting a continued consolidation trend in the technology sector.