Amazon just laid off around 14,000 employees globally, including 2,303 in Seattle. The reason was simple on paper but complex in execution - each org was given a target to reduce operating expenses, which, in practice, meant headcount reductions across all levels (L4-L8).

These weren’t grassroots decisions. The calls were made by VPs/SVPs (L10/L11). Despite the org charts, most directors were kept out of it - a few were quietly “hinted,” but very few actually had a say. The direction came top-down and moved fast.

If you read the patterns, it’s clear there was a method to the madness: 1. Remote employees were targeted first. Fully remote roles had a flag. In a few orgs with humane leaders, some people were quietly given the option to relocate or align with a team location - those who accepted were selectively spared. Those who declined, even with solid performance, were dropped. Not everyone got this choice; it often depended on having a strong internal network or supportive L8/L10 leadership. 2. Extended leave cases came next - employees on or returning from maternity, paternity, or FMLA leave in 2025. Across orgs (especially TT/HV3), being out of sight unfortunately became a factor. 3. Once quotas still weren’t met, low performance bands (HV1s, and if needed HV2s) were tapped to close the gap.

The categories above are org, specific. I have observed this in 3 orgs. When I say org, I refer to anyone under an L8 leader. If you fall into any/all of the three above, and are still employed, you have someone higher above vouching for you or have L10 visibility high impact projects or belong to an org, which may have applied a different strategy or are simply very lucky. If your org has enough people on focus/HR escalations, it can be as simple as not employing the above flags and simply letting go of those folks.

It’s a hunting game of gazelles. The fastest ones still fell if they were remote or on leave; the slower ones got caught if the quotas weren’t filled.

A few strongly networked L6s/L7s with L8 or L10 backing managed to stay clear, but most didn’t have that safety net.

This first wave - 14K out of a rumored 30K - is likely just the beginning. Retail orgs may see action after Black Friday/Cyber Monday, and AWS after re:Invent. Expect a second major wave in January, with smaller aftershocks through November and February.

Behind the numbers are real people - friends, colleagues, and mentors. Some of the best Amazonians I know are suddenly updating résumés this week. It’s heartbreaking to watch brilliant, kind, and hardworking folks caught in something this mechanical.

So if you’re in a position to help, reach out to those impacted. Offer a referral, a conversation, or just empathy. Many could use a bit of humanity right now - both before and after whatever comes next.

Edit 1: Added caveats below the three criteria based on inputs. Added the focus/HR escalations as an override.

There is a discussion about Amazon doing its biggest layoff ever across every division.

Many US product teams are also being transferred to Canada

Amazon AWS layoffs 2025: Amazon has laid off several hundred employees from its AWS cloud division, according to Reuters. The exact number remains unclear. The cuts are part of a wider restructuring effort at the company, which comes just over a month after previous job reductions in other parts of the business.

Is it possible that Amazon put employees in Focus/Pivot then announce layoff? I heard they did it in 2023/2024 layoffs, but I am trying to see if I should wait till end of Focus to ask for FMLA, or FMLA the sooner the better before they announce the layoff by end of Q1 2025 that will be earlier than my stock vest period in May? I am emotionally exhausted at this point to plan for the best course of actions for myself.

Please Don't DM me.

Update 11/12: AWS ASP (20% cut):

https://www.teamblind.com/us/s/c1px4yvs

Sharing the content from the above link for reference:

Did you see this from u/QuickSuite? "I'm back with another credible layoff update (Amazon)" https://www.teamblind.com/us/s/v1fw07uz

Following their lead. I’m in PXT, close enough to AWS Specialist and Partners (ASP) to see what’s coming down the pipe. Here’s what I know.

ASP had a RIF in July, but the planning for the Jan RIF started right after.

What’s confirmed:

Date: January 27, 2026 Size: 20-25% of the org Process: PXT provides the data, but L8s make the cuts Impacted roles: All — PDM, PSM, PSA are showing up Reorg: At least one large group (200+) is getting broken up and redistributed. Not specifying which. Timeline: Lists are being built now through mid January.

If you’ve got info to share or questions, DM.

Original:

Courtesy Blind (pasted the content as is): https://www.teamblind.com/us/s/v1fw07uz

I made my last post here out of frustration, but it ended up gaining a lot of attention and a lot of people reached out in DMs to thank me and to discuss additional stuff. While I'm in PXT, my role doesn't have direct visibility into the targets and layoffs, but my teammates and stakeholders that I support do. So, my investigative mode went overdrive last few days and here's all the 100 percent verified information I know.

1. Layoff date: 27th Jan. Confirmed.

2. Targets: anywhere between 4 to 20 percent depending on orgs. Even impacted orgs will have updated targets. These targets are Opex and not headcount, so if you have a higher salary, you have a higher chance of getting impacted.

3. Criteria: Directors can get very creative. While initial list can come from PXT, directors seem to have full control. They cannot target anyone willy nilly, but can go specific terms of saying, 'this service will be deprecated and there are 2 SDEs working on this who we can lay off.'

4. Program Manager, SDE, BIE will be the primarily impacted roles. (note, this information is very much specific to one org as the people that support other orgs did not disclose type of roles impacted).

5. Overall org level consolidations will happen. Guaranteed example : one entire org of 150 plus people is going to be split and reorged under multiple other orgs. I cannot provide details of which org here as I'll doxx myself and my teammate, but you can DM me with your org and I'll say yes/no. I cannot go more specific than that. But what I was told was that multiple of these instances are occuring..

6. The lists have to finalized by Nov17 for most orgs. For others Nov 20 is the deadline. Post Oct 28, if you see all L8s in your org gathering for a meeting or an offsite that includes an HRBP session, then that's where the list will be decided. So check the calendars for Oct 28 to Nov 20.

7. There is nothing anyone can do to get in or out of the list, but those in WA can apply for FMLA now to be excluded.

That's all for now. I'll update this post with any additional details I can gather.

Also, please don't DM about AWS orgs as my knowledge is limited to stores. But I definitely think that AWS would have much higher targets overall