WASHINGTON — Amazon said Wednesday it will cut 16,000 jobs worldwide as the online retail and cloud computing company moves to streamline operations while investing heavily in artificial intelligence.
Senior Vice President Beth Galetti said the layoffs aim to “reduce layers, increase ownership, and remove bureaucracy.” The cuts follow earlier plans to eliminate 14,000 positions, bringing the total expected reductions to about 30,000 roles.
Media reports in October said the planned cuts represent nearly 10 percent of Amazon’s roughly 350,000 corporate jobs. Distribution and warehouse workers, who make up most of the company’s 1.5 million employees, will not be affected.
Amazon did not provide a breakdown of the latest reductions or identify which divisions will see layoffs, stating that teams will continue to evaluate structure and capacity and make adjustments when needed. The company added that it will offer new roles to affected employees when possible.
The company is scheduled to release its full-year 2025 results on February 5. In its October quarterly report, Amazon said it spent $1.8 billion on severance costs tied to planned workforce reductions.
The layoffs reflect a broader trend across the technology sector to trim white-collar management roles. Microsoft said in July it cut nearly four percent of its global workforce, or about 15,000 jobs, while Meta has also reduced staff after expanding rapidly during the pandemic. Dutch technology firm ASML, along with HP and Oracle, has announced similar moves.
Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy said in October that the initial round of cuts was driven by company culture rather than budget pressures or AI spending, citing concerns about excessive management layers.
Amazon continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, including efforts to develop new chips and services. The company is relying in part on Amazon Web Services, the world’s largest cloud provider, as it competes with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. In December, Amazon announced plans to invest more than $35 billion in India.
