Amazon reveals 16,000 jobs cut worldwide, with AWS hit hard, as it looks at 'reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy'

• Amazon announces 16,000 more job cuts after 14,000 in October
• It's all part of a restructuring plan to remove unnecessary layers
• The company is still hiring elsewhere, and affected workers can reapply

Amazon is the latest company to announce major workforce reductions after similar news from Pinterest yesterday, with 16,000 jobs at risk globally as part of ongoing restructuring efforts.

This is on top of the 14,000 jobs that were cut in October, bringing the total to 30,000 positions within less than six months.

SVP of People Experience and Technology Beth Galetti shared the news with employees by email yesterday before publishing the copy online, citing "reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy" as key drivers.

Amazon to cut 16,000 jobs

Amazon is framing this more as an adjustment than a total headcount reduction, suggesting that affected workers will be able to reapply for other jobs within the organization. "We’ll also continue hiring and investing in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future," she added.

Galetti also addressed concerns that the company has entered into a "new rhythm" of frequent redundancies. "Just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate," she wrote.

Although precise implications vary by country, Galetti said that US workers will have 90 days to find another internal role. Unsuccessful applicants or those willing to walk away will instead get severance pay, health insurance benefits where applicable and support to find another job.

Amazon is no stranger to laying of thousands – three of its biggest hits included 10,000 in 2022, 8,000 in 2023 and another 9,000 in 2023 (via layoffs.fyi), but these two latest rounds are even bigger than post-pandemic cuts.

Another email by AWS SVP Colleen Aubrey (via the BBC) suggests AWS roles are among the most at-risk. "This is a continuation of the work we've been doing for more than a year to strengthen the company," Aubrey wrote, referencing Project Dawn, a codename linked to Amazon redundancies.

Former workers cited by the BBC believe Amazon had been planning to cut a total of around 30,000 jobs, with more rounds believed to be coming between now and the end of May 2026. It's unclear whether the latest round of 16,000 now marks the completion of Amazon's 30,000 layoffs.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.