Amazon confirmed on October 28, 2025 that it will eliminate approximately 14,000 corporate positions worldwide, though internal sources initially suggested the figure could reach 30,000 before the restructuring concludes. The cuts affect roughly 4 percent of Amazon’s 350,000 corporate workforce, making this the company’s second largest reduction since the 27,000 job eliminations during 2022 and 2023. In Washington state alone, where Amazon maintains its headquarters, 2,303 corporate employees received termination notices, with over 600 software development engineers among those affected.
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Which departments have been targeted?
Software engineering positions bore the brunt of the reductions, with more than 600 engineering roles cut in Washington and additional eliminations across global offices. Amazon’s People eXperience Technology team, the company’s 10,000 plus employee HR division that includes recruiters and technology staff, faced significant cuts as part of the restructuring. Other affected departments include advertising, devices and services, Fire TV, customer behavior analytics, payments, legal, marketing, and the Audible audiobook division. More than 500 manager positions were eliminated in Washington alone, reflecting Amazon’s stated goal of reducing management layers throughout the organization.
How was the decision communicated?
Amazon sent two early morning text messages to affected employees on Tuesday, October 28, asking them to check their work or personal email for information about their employment status. A second message directed employees to contact a help desk if they had not received an email about their role, a measure designed to prevent laid off workers from arriving at offices only to discover their security badges no longer functioned. Some employees in Germany received security alerts indicating their work devices had been placed in reduced functionality mode, a status typically associated with role closures or transfers. Managers received training sessions on Monday about how to brief affected employees once the termination emails were distributed.
What is Amazon’s reasoning for this decision?
CEO Andy Jassy explicitly stated during the company’s October 30 earnings call that the layoffs were not financially motivated, nor primarily driven by artificial intelligence replacing human workers. He attributed the cuts to organizational culture, explaining that Amazon’s rapid expansion created excessive management layers and diluted ownership among employees actively performing work. Jassy emphasized that Amazon’s quarterly revenue grew 13 percent year over year to $180 billion, indicating strong financial performance despite the workforce reduction. The CEO framed the restructuring as necessary for Amazon to function like the world’s largest startup, requiring a flatter organizational structure with clearer lines of accountability.
How are the released employees being supported in the interim?
Amazon’s HR chief Beth Galetti announced that laid off employees will receive full pay and benefits for 90 days following their termination, during which time they can search for other positions within Amazon. The company is providing severance packages, though specific amounts were not disclosed in public communications. Affected workers will also receive outplacement services to assist with job searches outside Amazon, along with continued health benefits during the transition period. Amazon stated it will continue hiring in strategic areas related to AI and cloud infrastructure, potentially allowing some displaced employees to transition into new roles within the company.
