Amazon is preparing for a massive wave of layoffs targeting its corporate workforce, according to several media reports. The job cuts could begin as soon as this week.
Both The Wall Street Journal and Reuters report that the company plans to eliminate up to 30,000 positions. The move is part of a cost-cutting campaign led by chief executive Andy Jassy as Amazon seeks to streamline operations.
Amazon declined to issue a statement when contacted by international news outlets.
Biggest round of layoffs in recent memory
If confirmed, the cuts would be among the largest announced by any major company in recent months. They would also mark Amazon’s biggest layoffs since 2022, when about 27,000 workers lost their jobs over several months.
Reports from CNBC and The New York Times supported the claims, citing sources close to the company. None of the outlets specified which departments or regions would be most affected.
Corporate staff face heavy impact
The planned reductions could affect around ten percent of Amazon’s corporate employees. Even so, that figure remains small compared with the company’s global workforce of more than 1.5 million people.
According to data submitted to the U.S. government last year, Amazon employs roughly 350,000 corporate workers, including executives, managers, and sales teams.
Hiring boom during pandemic reversed
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon expanded at record speed to meet soaring demand for online deliveries and digital services. The company’s workforce grew rapidly as consumers increasingly relied on e-commerce.
Now, Andy Jassy is focused on cutting costs and reshaping the company’s structure. At the same time, Amazon is investing billions in artificial intelligence to increase efficiency and drive innovation.
Automation expected to replace many roles
Jassy warned in June that automation and AI adoption will inevitably reduce the need for certain jobs. Machines, he said, will take over repetitive and routine work.
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today,” Jassy explained. “And more people doing new kinds of work that come with this technology.”
