In a move that has sent ripples across the tech and corporate world, a major multinational company has informed staff that it plans to cut tens of thousands of corporate positions worldwide. The announcement marks the second significant round of layoffs in just three months for the Seattle-based organization, following the elimination of roughly 14,000 roles last October.
The latest reduction is expected to primarily impact employees in the United States, though some positions in the United Kingdom are also at risk. Company officials have declined to provide an exact figure for British employees affected.
In a blog post addressed to staff, the company’s senior vice president of people experience and technology emphasized that the decision was part of broader efforts to streamline operations, reduce bureaucracy, and simplify management layers. “We’ve been reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” the executive wrote.
She reassured employees that this was not the start of a regular, rolling series of cuts, addressing concerns that such layoffs might become routine. “Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm—where we announce broad reductions every few months,” she noted. “That’s not our plan.”
US-based employees affected by the announcement will have 90 days to apply for internal openings elsewhere in the organization. Those unable to secure a new role will receive severance pay, continued health insurance benefits, and outplacement support.
The move comes as the company accelerates its adoption of artificial intelligence and automation technologies, while also scaling back portions of a workforce that expanded dramatically during the pandemic. For executives, the goal is to increase efficiency and modernize workflows even as the global economy faces mounting uncertainty.
Analysts point out that the cuts are not tied to financial instability. The company recently reported a nearly 40 percent jump in profits, reaching approximately $21 billion, alongside quarterly revenues exceeding $180 billion. Rather, corporate leadership frames the layoffs as a response to the organizational complexity that accumulated during rapid expansion over several years.
The first confirmation of the layoff plan came earlier this week, when CEO Andy Jassy publicly referenced the company’s shift toward automation and AI as a factor in workforce adjustments. The announcement signals a strategic pivot, emphasizing technology-driven efficiencies over the sheer scale of the workforce.
The layoffs represent the company’s largest corporate reduction since 2023, when more than 27,000 jobs were eliminated as part of a similar restructuring effort. Globally, the organization employs roughly 1.57 million people, including about 350,000 corporate staff, with the remainder working primarily in warehouse and fulfillment roles.
The company has also announced a pullback from physical retail operations, confirming that it will close its remaining small-format stores in the US and shift its in-person retail focus to larger, established brands within its portfolio.
Despite these moves, the company remains financially robust. Market analysts have stressed that the layoffs are strategic rather than reactive, aimed at reducing internal layers and improving operational efficiency rather than addressing losses or declining sales.
Midway through the announcement, the organization was finally named: Amazon, the Seattle-based e-commerce and technology giant. The revelation prompted widespread discussion, as it underscores both the scale of Amazon’s corporate workforce and the significant impact of AI and automation on traditional office roles.
Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, noted that the cuts were necessary to streamline decision-making and remove redundancies that accumulated during years of rapid growth. “If you grow as fast as we did for several years, the size of the business, the number of people, and the number of layers can expand beyond what is manageable,” she explained.
The affected employees are expected to receive support through internal transfers or severance packages, along with access to career counseling and outplacement services. US-based workers will have a 90-day window to apply for available internal positions.
The news comes amid broader trends in the US labor market. Recent government data shows slower-than-expected employment growth, with 173,000 jobs lost in October 2025—the worst monthly performance since the pandemic—while only 50,000 positions were added in December. For the full year, total US employment growth amounted to roughly 584,000 jobs, marking the weakest annual performance outside a recession since 2003.
In addition to Amazon, other large corporations are signaling workforce reductions. UPS has announced plans to cut up to 30,000 operational roles through attrition and buyouts, while Pinterest has revealed intentions to reduce its workforce by up to 15 percent as part of a shift in spending toward AI and technology infrastructure.
The layoffs at Amazon highlight the ongoing tension between technological advancement and workforce stability. As automation and AI become central to operational efficiency, even the largest companies are evaluating how to balance cutting-edge tools with the human capital that helped them grow.
Industry observers emphasize that these measures are part of a broader trend: companies that expanded aggressively during the pandemic are now adjusting to post-pandemic realities, focusing on cost reduction, operational efficiency, and the strategic deployment of AI across corporate functions.
For affected employees, the cuts are likely to have long-lasting consequences, particularly among white-collar workers who may have assumed their positions were secure. The restructuring at Amazon is not only a reflection of internal corporate strategy but also a bellwether for other large employers as they weigh similar decisions in response to technology adoption and economic pressures.
In sum, Amazon’s recent announcement to cut around 16,000 corporate jobs worldwide represents a significant reshaping of its workforce. It underscores the broader challenges facing corporate America in 2026, where AI, automation, and operational efficiency increasingly influence staffing decisions, even amid record profits. The move also raises questions about the future of corporate employment stability in an era of rapid technological change.
Emily Johnson is a critically acclaimed essayist and novelist known for her thought-provoking works centered on feminism, women’s rights, and modern relationships. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Emily grew up with a deep love of books, often spending her afternoons at her local library. She went on to study literature and gender studies at UCLA, where she became deeply involved in activism and began publishing essays in campus journals. Her debut essay collection, Voices Unbound, struck a chord with readers nationwide for its fearless exploration of gender dynamics, identity, and the challenges faced by women in contemporary society. Emily later transitioned into fiction, writing novels that balance compelling storytelling with social commentary. Her protagonists are often strong, multidimensional women navigating love, ambition, and the struggles of everyday life, making her a favorite among readers who crave authentic, relatable narratives. Critics praise her ability to merge personal intimacy with universal themes. Off the page, Emily is an advocate for women in publishing, leading workshops that encourage young female writers to embrace their voices. She lives in Seattle with her partner and two rescue cats, where she continues to write, teach, and inspire a new generation of storytellers.
