This directive goes beyond simple logistics to represent Amazon's overarching strategic goal of preserving its competitive advantage in a market that is extremely dynamic. Being physically close encourages impromptu conversations, speedier decision-making, and a greater sense of purpose, elements that are challenging to replicate virtually. With decades of operational experience, Amazon's leadership understands that real-time idea collisions foster innovation.
Amazon is planning to cut as many as 30,000 corporate jobs beginning Tuesday, as the company works to pare expenses and compensate for overhiring during the peak demand of the pandemic, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The figure represents a small percentage of Amazon’s 1.55 million total employees, but nearly 10% of the company’s roughly 350,000 corporate employees. This would represent the largest job cut at Amazon since around 27,000 jobs were eliminated starting in late 2022.
Managers of impacted teams were asked to undergo training on Monday for how to communicate with staff following notifications that will start going out via email tomorrow morning
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/amazon-targets-many-30000-corporate-job-cuts-sources-say-2025-10-27/
What are your thoughts on this?
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My friend from Amazon told me how she saw an entire team, including their manager, get laid off right in front of her eyes — all within seconds. The way they had to leave the office was honestly heartbreaking.
These layoffs are massive; entire orgs are being wiped out. The testing teams in Q3 and Q4 were the first to go. They collected company laptops on the spot, and that was it.
It’s rough out there right now.
Tech layoffs: Amazon Web Services (AWS) division gave hundreds of employees the pink slip from its cloud unit earlier this week. The major wave of job cuts comes just weeks after CEO Andy Jassy stated that AI will likely reduce the need for certain roles across Amazon. Analyst Amanda Goodall, who uses the handle “@thejobchick” on X(formerly Twitter) predicted that further job cuts are expected towards the end of this year.
Key point summary:
Amazon’s mass layoffs announced last month hit engineers the hardest, according to state filings.
Nearly 40% of the roughly 4,700 positions eliminated across Washington, New York, New Jersey and California were engineering jobs.
Video games, advertising and AI search were also significantly impacted
I am seeing layoffs left right centre in the past few days, post the 14,000 employee cut.
Every day is a nightmare. 4AM logins to check layoff is normal. Sleep is not part of the normal cycle and huge pile of work keeps waiting in the morning irrespective of weekday or weekend.
Every employee is either working because of - loans or emi or family commitments or they want to survive the job or may be they are the sole bread earner while cost of living is skyrocketting.
The top management is throwing lavish parties, the inner circle is enjoying as layoff have highlighted them in the news which in turn has pushed the stock prices high and have made them far rich.
Top management in the past few years have had ambitious milestones, they wanted amazon employees to innovate and take the company to the next level. The plan did not work out technically if someone fails they are either sacked or they step down because of non performance.. The harsh truth top exec have different rules than normal employees they are either made rich or they become rich.
In both positive and negative scenarios the top management is immune. But this trend has to be changed.
Update 25 Nov:
Sell Orders of amazon stocks as per SEC filing
Andy Jessey -> CEO -> https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000195917325007171/xsl144X01/primary_doc.xml
Matt Garman -> EX CEO -> https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000195917325007182/xsl144X01/primary_doc.xml
David Zapolsky -> SVP Legal -> https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000195917325007211/xsl144X01/primary_doc.xml
SHELLEY REYNOLDS -> SVP Accounts -> https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018724/000195004725009209/xsl144X01/primary_doc.xml
The top guys should resign and amazon should become what it was few years back.
I was laid off yesterday.
My leader said: “This has nothing to do with your performance. This decision was not made lightly.”
Yet its so hard to think it’s not based on my performance. They kept people who had less tenure and experience than me (but paid the same)
I asked 100x over my course of tenure there to give me more exposure, to include me in more meetings, to give me more context. From the start, I felt left out. I was set up to fail and not given the opportunity to grow. They often took credit for the things that I BUILT.
Live and learn I guess.
Right before the holidays is doubly brutal, hope you all are doing alright.
Miserable existence
updated 10/28- 14,000 employees laid off.
Amazon is planning to cut as many as 30,000 corporate jobs beginning Tuesday, as the company works to pare expenses and compensate for overhiring during the peak demand of the pandemic, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The figure represents a small percentage of Amazon’s 1.55 million total employees, but nearly 10% of the company’s roughly 350,000 corporate employees. This would represent the largest job cut at Amazon since around 27,000 jobs were eliminated starting in late 2022.
Amazon just announced 14,000 layoffs while sitting on $100 billion in cash.
Is this the new playbook for the AI era that companies are implementing to survive and/or thrive.
Or maybe it's just a way for them to make their balance sheets look pretty for the investors with all the money they've dumped into AI.
Amazon's CEO explained it clearly: "When you add a lot of people, you end up with middle managers who want to put their fingerprint on everything.
Full post:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stepania_amazon-just-announced-14000-layoffs-while-activity-7308144807313371137-YZMl
Saw a LinkedIn post just now from a dude from books org at Amazon. Few others posted about their layoff too. Any Amazon guy here give me some clarity on what's happening? It would be great to know what the scene is and how many got impacted.
An IT veteran here who has lived through my share of corporate transformations and layoffs reflecting on the BIG announcement from Amazon coming just before the holidays:
The number (30,000) by itself is sizable; but there is going to be a lot more voluntary and involuntary RIFs that follow. Those may not be included in this 30K number.
For example, Amazon in India may not 'layoff' people but ask them to resign (with a severance benefit). Such RIF (cloaked as 'resignation') is not reported as a layoff.
Amazon is just a canary in the coalmine. Other FAANG and IT services companies are following with their own RIFs - some making headlines others not
Analysts are pointing at reasons like AI and Automation. While there is some of it, the real reason is global slowdown.
Just look at US, the largest market where Federal government shutdown is going to hit fed-workers paychecks and foodstamps too.
Consumers who don't have a job can't buy stuff - offline or on Amazon
Offshoring and H1 - this is a big elephant in the room. Amazon has approximately 110,000 permanent employees in India across its corporate and fulfilment centres.
One can assume 20-25% of such "corporate employees," especially in IT and Business Services are in India
The Yin-Yang that Trump did with H1-B announcement hasn't helped matters. As of June 2025, Amazon had approximately 10,044 employees on H-1B visas, making it the largest sponsor of this visa category in the United States. Can these H1 jobs be offshored by laying off locally and hiring in India?