In a major update that’s making headlines across global business pages, Amazon, the world’s e-commerce and cloud computing giant, has announced yet another big round of job cuts, this time hitting about 16,000 corporate roles globally. This development marks one of the largest layoffs in Amazon’s history, and follows earlier workforce reductions in late 2025, bringing total job cuts close to 30,000 within just a few months.
For many employees, especially those in high-cost cities like Seattle, this news is a major blow. Office teams in tech, retail services, HR, and cloud divisions, such as AWS, are among those affected.
The layoff plan made headlines partly because of an internal email that was accidentally sent to some employees, revealing the cuts earlier than Amazon intended and sparking confusion inside teams. Amazon then had to backtrack, cancel meetings, and clarify its plans publicly
Amazon says the layoffs aren’t simply about cost-cutting.
Instead, the company is pushing a broader restructuring effort that’s meant to:
- Flatten organizational layers to reduce bureaucracy and speed up decision-making.
- Shift focus toward AI and automation.
- Redistribute resources to areas it considers “high-priority” for future growth.
AI is playing a central role here. While Amazon isn’t publicly saying this is an “AI layoffs” event, industry observers note that automation and machine-driven tools are fundamentally changing how work gets done, especially in corporate and engineering teams.
Reports also suggest Amazon India offices including major hubs like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, could see job losses as part of this round. Teams across AWS, Prime Video, retail, and HR may be affected
For those affected, Amazon has said that many impacted workers will receive:
Severance packages
- A period (often around 90 days) to look for other internal roles
- Support services like career transition help
- Still, big layoffs can be unsettling, especially when they happen unexpectedly.
Amazon’s latest layoffs are more than just a company story; they reflect a broader trend in the tech industry, where firms are recalibrating their workforces post-pandemic while investing heavily in automation, AI, and efficiency.
What’s happening inside Amazon, one of the world’s most influential tech giants, often sets the tone for the rest of the industry.
