Amazon is preparing another round of corporate layoffs that could cut thousands of jobs, according to people familiar with the plans cited by Reuters. The final tally has not been set, but the move is expected to continue a broader restructuring that targets about 30,000 corporate roles across the company.
What We Know About The Latest Cuts At Amazon
The reductions are expected to hit several high-profile units, including Amazon Web Services, Prime Video, human resources, and retail operations. The scale could be similar to the last major round, which shed roughly 14,000 corporate roles as Amazon streamlined projects and consolidated teams.
While 30,000 jobs represent a small share of Amazon’s 1.58 million global headcount, the cuts amount to about 10% of the corporate workforce. Most Amazon employees work in logistics, fulfillment, and delivery—areas that are not the focal point of the current restructuring.
Reuters reports the latest notifications could begin in the coming days. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
AI And Efficiency Are Driving The Restructure
Amazon leadership has framed the layoffs as a cultural and operational reset rather than a response to financial distress. CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized speed, ownership, and fewer managerial layers as the company retools how it works.
In an internal memo, HR chief Beth Galetti told employees the current wave of AI is as transformative as the early internet and that Amazon needs to be “leaner,” with less hierarchy, to move faster for customers. Separately, Jassy has cautioned that generative AI and autonomous agents will change workflows significantly—meaning fewer people will be needed for some roles and more for others as automation scales.
Translation: Amazon is reallocating talent toward AI-heavy, product-focused, and revenue-driving initiatives while trimming functions where software can deliver measurable efficiency gains. Expect expansion in roles tied to machine learning, data engineering, and AI platform operations, even as generalist and overlapping roles are pared back.
Why AWS And Prime Video Are Vulnerable In This Restructuring
AWS, long the profit engine of the company, is under pressure to grow efficiently as enterprise customers optimize cloud spending and adopt AI services that demand new economics and infrastructure planning. Consolidating overlapping platform work, automating routine support, and sharpening go-to-market motions are typical levers in this environment.
Prime Video, meanwhile, is navigating a pivot toward ad-supported tiers and higher-cost sports and originals. Large media operations often centralize production, marketing, and tech stacks to control spending and improve ROI. Headcount resets in these parts of the business align with a push for profitability discipline.
A Familiar Pattern Across Big Tech As AI Investments Grow
Amazon’s move fits a broader trend: tech giants continue to fine-tune headcount after years of expansion, redirecting resources to AI platforms and data-center scale. Companies including Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta have trimmed staff while investing heavily in AI infrastructure, model development, and foundation-layer services.
Industry trackers have recorded hundreds of thousands of tech layoffs since 2022, underscoring a shift from “grow at all costs” to “operate with leverage.” As companies embed AI into everything from code generation to customer support, productivity gains often show up first in corporate and support functions.
What Employees Should Watch For During The Layoffs
Impacted employees typically receive a combination of severance, benefits continuation, and job-placement resources, though specifics vary by location and tenure. Internal mobility can remain an option in high-priority teams, particularly around AI, data, and core services. Employees on visas or in regions with strict labor rules may see different timelines and support structures.
For Amazon, this phase is about sharpening focus while shifting talent toward emergent growth lanes. For workers, it’s a reminder that AI-driven transformation is not abstract—the consequences are landing inside the org chart, team by team.
Reuters’ reporting and prior Amazon communications outline the contours: leaner management, faster decision-making, and an aggressive embrace of AI. The question now is not whether headcount changes are coming, but how quickly the company can redeploy skills to the businesses that will define its next decade.
