- By Prateek Levi
- Fri, 23 Jan 2026 05:38 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amazon corporate layoffs: Amazon is going to cut more jobs next week as the company plans to align with its broader goal of downsizing to the tune of around 30,000 corporate workers, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Last year in October the company laid off around 14,000 white-collar employees, which is almost half of the 30,000 target, and this time it is expected that the e-comm giant will cut almost the same amount of jobs this time as it did in October, and this could begin soon by Tuesday itself, people familiar with the issue told Reuters.
The changes are expected to touch multiple parts of Amazon’s business, including AWS, retail, Prime Video, and the People Experience and Technology team that handles HR. That said, it’s still not clear how widespread the impact will be, and those aware of the situation say the plans are not final and could still change.
Is AI the Reason?
In its previous round of job cuts that occurred in October, the e-comm giant tied it to the rising prominence of AI software. In an internal letter the company wrote, “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.” However, later CEO Andy Jassy expressed to analysts that layoffs were neither financially driven nor AI-driven during the company's third-quarter earnings call. Rather, he said, "It's culture," which might point towards excess bureaucracy in the firm.
Although earlier in 2025, Jassy had said that he anticipated more downsizing in the firm over time as AI-driven efficiency grows.
Companies and tech giants are actively becoming dependent on AI to write code for software and also adopting AI agents to take over routine tasks. These companies plan to cut costs in the long run and reduce reliance on people. At its annual AWS Amazon also announced its latest AI models in December.
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These 30,000 employees represent 10% of the company's corporate workforce. Most of Amazon's workers are employed in warehouses or fulfilment centres.