Amazon is cutting about 16,000 jobs across the company, the second major layoff in three months as the tech giant seeks to streamline its operations and focus resources on artificial intelligence efforts.
Beth Galetti, head of people experience and technology at Amazon, told employees that the cuts are the result of organizational changes that began in October 2025.
“We have worked to strengthen our organization by reducing hierarchy, increasing ownership, and eliminating bureaucracy,” Galetti said.
U.S.-based employees will have 90 days to search for a new position within the company and will receive severance, outplacement services and health insurance benefits if they are unable to find or pursue a new position. International support varies depending on local requirements.
The layoffs follow 14,000 layoffs announced in October 2025, bringing Amazon's total workforce reductions to nearly 30,000 by mid-2026. Teams in India, particularly in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai, are likely to be hardest hit across AWS, Prime Video, retail, and other sectors.
Galetti cited concerns among employees that layoffs could become the norm. “That is not our plan,” she wrote, while noting that the team would continue to evaluate its operations “in a world that is changing more rapidly than ever.”
Amazon said it will continue hiring in strategic areas important to its future, even as it cuts jobs elsewhere. CEO Andy Jassy emphasized the need for cultural and decision-making improvements beyond cost reduction as the company competes in an increasingly AI-driven technology environment.
With this decision, Amazon joins a growing list of tech companies cutting jobs to fund AI-first strategies.
Pinterest is also restructuring its workforce and operations to accelerate AI adoption, reducing staff by less than 15% and reducing office space. The company plans to reinvest in AI-focused roles and products and complete its restructuring by the end of the third quarter.
