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Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs globally to undo pandemic-era hiring amid AI push

On Wednesday, Amazon confirmed it is cutting another 16,000 corporate employees globally, the second phase of a restructuring totaling about 30,000 job cuts since October, announced by Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology.
Company leaders say cuts aim to reduce bureaucracy and speed decision-making, with Andy Jassy, CEO, linking workforce shrinkage to AI-driven efficiency and a cultural reset.
Amazon is discontinuing its Amazon One biometric palm recognition service and will close all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores, while Galetti said most US employees get 90 days to search internally with severance and health benefits.
Local leaders warned the Downtown Seattle Association and Jon Scholes said layoffs starting this week, possibly from January 27, could reduce foot traffic near offices in the Seattle region, which employs around 50,000 corporate workers.
The move mirrors a broader Big Tech trend of cutting jobs while boosting AI investment as Amazon reports its latest quarterly earnings on Feb. 5, with analysts noting AWS may support the stock.

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Amazon lays off 16,000 employees in major reduction of force

Amazon told about 16,000 corporate employees they’ll soon be out of a job early Wednesday morning. It’s part two of a 30,000-person layoff the company began in October. Taken together, it’s the largest layoff in the e-commerce giant’s history, and it marks a dramatic shift in the tech industry from a decade-long talent war to the artificial intelligence race.

36 minutes ago·Portland, United States

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