Amazon Announces Mass Layoffs, Tens Of Thousands Cut

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Amazon announced on Wednesday that it would cut approximately 16,000 jobs.

“We’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy. While many teams finalized their organizational changes in October, other teams did not complete that work until now,” said Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology.

“The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we’re again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted. That starts with offering most US-based employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (timing will vary internationally based on local and country level requirements). Then, for teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we’ll provide transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits (as applicable), and more,” she continued.

Fox Business explained further:

After initially cutting roughly 14,000 white-collar jobs in October, Amazon is expected to launch a second round of layoffs impacting a similar number of employees, with an overall target of about 30,000 jobs, although the scope may change, according to two sources cited by Reuters.

If fully realized, the cuts would amount to the largest layoffs in Amazon’s history, surpassing the roughly 27,000 jobs the company cut in 2022.

According to Reuters, the layoffs could begin as early as next week and impact employees across Amazon Web Services, retail, human resources (known internally as People Experience and Technology) and Prime Video.

Reuters reported that the e-commerce giant linked the October cuts to the rise of artificial intelligence software, saying in an internal letter to staff that “this generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the internet, and it’s enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before.”

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said last year he expected the retailer’s corporate workforce to diminish resulting from the efficiencies stemming from using AI.

“AI is taking off our jobs and the fear is REAL,” one X user commented.

The news follows the United Parcel Service (UPS) announcing it would slash about 30,000 jobs.

More from the New York Post:

The Atlanta-based delivery giant plans to slash total operational hours by approximately 25 million by reducing its dependence on Amazon, CFO Brian Dykes said during a call with analysts Tuesday.

“In terms of variable costs, we expect to reduce operational positions by up to 30,000,” Dykes said.

“This will be accomplished through attrition, and we expect to offer a second voluntary separation program for full-time drivers.”

UPS also said it has identified 24 buildings for closure in the first half of 2026, adding that further closures could come later this year. The company closed 93 buildings last year.

The company also plans to “further deploy automation” across its network, Dykes said.

UPS slashed a whopping 48,000 jobs last year, including 34,000 operational roles and 14,000 in management.



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