Post by : Badri Ariffin

Amazon has started eliminating about 30,000 corporate positions from Tuesday (local time), Reuters reports, marking one of the company's largest workforce reductions since the roughly 27,000 roles cut between late 2022 and early 2023.

Although the reductions amount to a small share of Amazon’s total headcount of 1.55 million, they represent nearly 10% of its roughly 350,000 corporate employees — a sign the company is tightening its structure after pandemic-era expansion.

Earlier indications suggest up to 15% of the human resources organisation could be affected, and further job losses are expected across multiple teams.

Divisions Facing the Impact

Several groups are likely to see the biggest cuts, including:

• Human Resources (People Experience and Technology)

• Devices and Services

• Operations

Managers in impacted areas were reportedly briefed on Monday about how to communicate the changes, with layoff notices beginning to go out by email on Tuesday. Company leaders say the final tally may shift as financial priorities are reassessed.

Gradual Reductions Over the Past Two Years

The company has been slimming down parts of its workforce for some time, quietly trimming teams across devices, communications and podcasting over the last two years.

Recent moves included eliminating 110 roles at the Wondery podcast unit, cutting hundreds of positions from its AWS cloud team in July 2025, and dropping nearly 100 jobs in the devices and services division in May.

Jassy’s Drive to Simplify Amazon’s Structure

CEO Andy Jassy has pushed to flatten management layers and boost agility. An internal feedback initiative reportedly drew more than 1,500 responses and led to roughly 450 process changes.

Jassy has also highlighted the expanding role of AI at the company, saying automation will take over repetitive tasks and urging employees to reskill to remain competitive.

Layoffs Amid Holiday Hiring Surge

Despite corporate cuts, Amazon still plans to hire about 250,000 seasonal workers for the upcoming holiday period to meet consumer demand.

Shares climbed 1.3% to $227.11 on Monday as investors awaited Amazon’s third-quarter results later this week.

Tech Industry’s Wider Trend

The move adds to broader consolidation in the tech sector. Layoffs.fyi data shows nearly 98,000 tech roles have been cut so far in 2025 across 216 companies, following about 153,000 positions eliminated in 2024.

As Amazon reorganises around automation and leaner operations, the latest reductions underline how major employers are recalibrating scale in the AI era.

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