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U.S.-based tech titan Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will cut approximately 16,000 jobs globally in its second major round of corporate layoffs since October 2025.
The move is part of an ongoing restructuring aimed at streamlining internal operations and reallocating resources toward strategic initiatives, particularly artificial intelligence investments, according to the company.
This latest round follows the earlier dismissal of 14,000 corporate employees in October, bringing the cumulative number of cuts to 30,000 roles, nearly 10% of the company’s 350,000 global office-based workforce. Warehouse and distribution staff, who comprise the majority of Amazon’s 1.57 million employees as of Q3 2025, are not directly impacted by the layoffs
The decision was framed as a strategic measure to "reduce layers, increase ownership, and remove bureaucracy," according to Beth Galetti, Amazon’s 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," she said in the company’s statement.
Despite the layoffs, Amazon signaled its ongoing commitment to long-term innovation. "While we’re making these changes, we’ll also continue hiring and investing in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future," the company said. "We’re still in the early stages of building every one of our businesses and there’s significant opportunity ahead."
The company has not released a detailed breakdown of the departments impacted or how the layoffs align with its AI initiatives. Media reports in October suggested the restructuring coincided with increased investment in artificial intelligence, though Amazon did not confirm this directly.
The decision comes ahead of Amazon’s full-year 2025 financial results, set to be released on February 6, with an earnings call scheduled for the same day, during which executives are expected to provide further insight into the restructuring and future strategy.
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