.png){kind=logo}
Amazon is planning another round of layoffs this week, with a broader aim of reducing its workforce by about 30,000, Reuters reported. This round of layoffs is expected to begin as early as Tuesday, 27 January.
In October last year, the company cut around 14,000 white-collar jobs. The cuts affect technology, HR, and operations units. The company has stated that the reduction is not purely cost-driven, but rather aimed at aligning talent with strategic priorities.
Employees in Amazon Web Services, retail, Prime Video, and the People Experience and Technology HR units are expected to be affected, according to the report. The full extent of the impact remains unclear, while Amazon's plans could still change.
The e-commerce giant cited the first round of job cuts in October on the rise of artificial intelligence software. In the latest round, the company signaled a deeper restructuring of workforce management, particularly as it pivots toward automation and efficiency. Indian corporate teams in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, are seen as especially vulnerable this time.
Internal communications and anonymous posts by Amazon employees across platforms such as Reddit, Blind, and LinkedIn suggest that the layoff process could begin early in the week of January 27. Several employees posting on Blind have claimed that managers and senior leaders have already hinted at impending cuts. Others have said that employees currently on performance improvement plans (PIPs) may be informed ahead of the wider workforce.
There are also reports that advance notices may already be underway. Earlier reports suggested that between 1,000 and 2,000 Amazon employees received WARN notices ahead of the expected layoff date.
Under US law, companies are required to issue such notices in advance of mass layoffs, though Amazon has not officially confirmed any details related to the timing or scale of the cuts.
CEO Andy Jassy, who succeeded Jeff Bezos in 2021, has made it clear that this new era will be defined by AI, and some employees will be affected during this transition. In a company-wide memo from June, Jassy urged staff to embrace Amazon’s AI drive, saying:
“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 a high impact and help us reinvent the company.”
His message came with a warning. “We expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company,” he added.
Amazon has already invested billions into its artificial intelligence and cloud operations. Additionally, it has committed to spending over $100 billion in 2025 on capital investments, much of it dedicated to designing next-generation data centres to support AI infrastructure for internal use and enterprise clients.
Also Read: Layoffs in Tech Industry: Why Intel, Amazon, and Meta Are Reducing Size?
Amazon employs around 1.55 million people. Most of Amazon’s workforce is employed in fulfilment centres and warehouses. The entire 30,000 jobs would constitute 10% of the company's corporate staff.
Under Jassy’s leadership, Amazon has already undergone the largest job cuts in its history, laying off around 27,000 corporate roles between 2022 and 2023. While earlier cuts were largely driven by post-pandemic overexpansion and changing consumer habits, the recent one is more strategic, which is a long-term shift toward AI-based operations.
“You end up with a lot more people than what you had before, and you end up with a lot more layers," he said. Jassy had previously stated in 2025 that he anticipated Amazon’s corporate workforce would decrease over time due to efficiencies gained from the use of AI.
