Amazon has announced a new round of global workforce reductions that will impact approximately 16,000 employees. The technology and retail giant confirmed the move on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, stating that the decision is part of a broader strategy to streamline its operations and eliminate redundant layers of corporate bureaucracy.
Okay News reports that this latest development brings the total number of job cuts at Amazon to 30,000 within the last four months. This second phase of layoffs follows an initial wave in October 2025, when the company removed 14,000 white-collar positions as part of an ongoing effort to flatten its organizational structure.
In a formal memo to the workforce, Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, explained that the company is prioritizing efficiency and speed in its decision-making. She noted that while many teams finalized their organizational changes late last year, others are only now completing the process, resulting in the current wave of departures.
The restructuring coincides with Amazon’s multi-billion dollar investment in artificial intelligence and the specialized data centers required to power its emerging tech initiatives. Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy has previously signaled that the integration of AI tools would lead to increased automation of corporate duties, ultimately reducing the total number of personnel needed to manage various divisions.
While the job losses are global in scope, affected employees in the United States will be granted a 90-day window to search for alternative roles within the company. Those who do not transition to new internal positions will be provided with supportive benefits, including severance packages, outplacement services, and temporary health insurance coverage.
Despite the significant reduction in headcount, which represents nearly 10% of the company’s corporate workforce, Amazon leaders have stated that they do not plan for broad layoffs to become a regular occurrence. Instead, the firm intends to reallocate its resources toward strategic growth areas, even as the broader tech industry continues to grapple with the economic and labor shifts caused by rapid AI adoption.
