Startup Originals Team
Global tech giant Amazon is preparing a significant new round of layoffs, with plans to eliminate up to 30,000 corporate jobs as part of a broad workforce reduction strategy that could unfold through mid-2026. The latest cuts are expected to begin as early as late January, with additional job losses anticipated in the months ahead.
Second Major Layoff Round Underway
According to multiple reports, Amazon is set to launch another wave of corporate job cuts that could start around January 27, 2026, following an earlier round in October 2025 that saw roughly 14,000 white-collar roles eliminated. The combined reductions could total about 30,000 jobs, making it the largest workforce downsizing in the company’s history.
These layoffs are expected to primarily affect Amazon Web Services (AWS), retail, Prime Video, and human resources teams, though the final scope and timeline may evolve.
Largest Corporate Layoffs in Three Decades
If completed as part of the ongoing strategy, the elimination of around 30,000 corporate positions would surpass the 27,000 jobs cut in 2022, marking the most extensive reduction in Amazon’s three-decade history. The cuts represent nearly 10% of the company’s corporate workforce, which is a small fraction of its total global headcount of about 1.58 million employees, most of whom work in fulfilment centres and warehouses.
Employees affected by the previous round were kept on payroll for a transitional period of 90 days to allow them time to seek internal transfers or external opportunities. That period was set to expire just as the new layoffs begin.
Why Amazon Is Restructuring
Amazon initially linked its October layoffs to efficiency gains driven by artificial intelligence (AI), with internal correspondence suggesting that new AI tools reduced the need for certain corporate roles. However, CEO Andy Jassy later clarified that the decision was not primarily about cost cutting or AI alone, but about reducing bureaucracy and simplifying organisational structure to improve agility.
Jassy has previously indicated that AI-driven automation could continue to reshape the company’s workforce over time as routine tasks become less reliant on human labour.
Impact and Broader Tech Layoff Trends
The forthcoming wave of layoffs aligns with a broader trend of workforce rationalisation in the tech industry, where several major companies are reassessing staffing levels amid economic uncertainties, competitive pressures, and technological shifts such as AI integration.
While Amazon’s retail and cloud businesses remain core drivers of revenue, corporate and administrative divisions have faced increasing scrutiny as the company seeks a leaner organisational model.
Outlook for Affected Employees
As layoffs progress through early 2026, employees impacted by the reductions may be offered support such as internal job placement assistance and severance packages, although specifics vary by region and role. The unfolding situation is being closely watched by industry observers and employees alike, as the scale of the cuts underscores the changing dynamics of tech employment in the era of AI and operational streamlining.
