Amazon announced on Wednesday that it was laying off 16,000 more corporate employees as it seeks to trim its bureaucracy and funnel more money into artificial intelligence.
Beth Galetti, a senior vice president at Amazon, made the announcement in a blog post.
The cuts had been expected, The New York Times reported. In late October, the company had laid off 14,000 corporate employees, calling it a move to “stay nimble” while strengthening the organization.
“Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm -- where we announce broad reductions every few months. That’s not our plan,“ Galetti wrote. “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.
“That’s never been more important than it is today in a world that’s changing faster than ever.”
Amazon is expected to announce its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025. The Times reported that analysts believed Amazon topped $211 billion in sales during that period, which included the holiday shopping season.
Profits were projected to be $21 billion, according to the newspaper.
In her blog post, Galetti said Amazon’s U.S.-based staff would be given 90 days to seek a new role internally. After that, they will be offered severance pay, outplacement services and health insurance benefits where applicable.
Amazon’s layoffs were announced as the U.S. announced one of its slowest periods in years, The Wall Street Journal reported. To cope with economic concerns, many companies have turned to artificial intelligence to do more with fewer employees, according to the newspaper.
Amazon had 1,578,000 employees in the third quarter, according to the Times. The company did not rule out future layoffs.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it was closing down its cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores and Amazon Fresh grocery stores, the newspaper reported.
According to Amazon’s website, the company, which had been downsizing those franchises, had 14 Amazon Go outlets and 50 Amazon Fresh locations.
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