After announcing plans to integrate artificial intelligence across its delivery and operations network, Amazon said Tuesday it will cut about 14,000 corporate jobs worldwide, the first phase of what insiders describe as a broader restructuring expected to continue into next year. The move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce shakeups, reflecting how automation and AI are reshaping roles across the tech and logistics sectors.
The company has started reducing staff across several departments, following reports that the total number of job cuts could reach 30,000. The downsizing comes as Amazon attempts to correct the overexpansion that occurred during the pandemic’s surge in online shopping and to bring operational expenses under tighter control.
The job reductions highlight how rapidly artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape corporate structures. Earlier this year, CEO Andy Jassy had hinted that expanding AI capabilities would likely eliminate certain roles, noting in June that automation of everyday tasks could significantly reduce the need for some corporate positions.
“You are no longer required to perform work on Amazon’s behalf,” reads the email from Beth Galetti, senior vice president of People Experience and Technology, sent to impacted employees, as per Reuters.
She explained that affected employees would have the chance to speak with an HR representative via video conference. “Unfortunately, your role is being eliminated and your employment will end after a non-working period,” the message to staff read.
READ: Elon Musk responds to NYT report on Amazon replacing 60,000 jobs with robots (
Amazon said most impacted employees will have a 90-day window to apply for other positions within the company, with internal recruiting teams giving their applications top priority.
Employees told Reuters that the layoffs span several divisions, including devices, advertising, Prime Video, human resources, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company did not specify the full range of departments impacted, directing media inquiries to its online statement instead. While the exact timeline for the planned 30,000 job cuts remains unclear, Galetti noted in her message that Amazon will keep hiring in key growth areas even as it trims roles in others through 2026.
In the last two years, Amazon has gradually reduced staff across various units such as books, devices, and its Wondery podcast division. Galetti noted that the earlier rounds of layoffs have already streamlined operations, allowing teams to work more efficiently.
Amazon is projected to spend around $118 billion in capital investments this year, with a significant portion directed toward expanding its AI capabilities and cloud infrastructure. The company is set to release its third-quarter earnings report on Thursday.
READ: How Amazon’s AI tools are transforming warehouses, delivery operations (
Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders urged Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to address concerns over massive job losses linked to automation. Citing a recent New York Times report, Sanders pointed out that company executives expect as many as 500,000 warehouse positions could eventually be replaced by robots, a projection he said underscores the human cost of rapid technological change.
“If Amazon succeeds on its massive automation plan, it will have a profound impact on blue-collar workers throughout America and will likely be used as a model by large corporations throughout America,” Sanders wrote in a letter to Bezos, which was exclusively reviewed by Reuters.
The company currently employs about 1.55 million people, most of them hourly workers.
In his letter, Sanders questioned Bezos about whether Amazon intended to offer adequate severance packages and extended health-care coverage to employees affected by the layoffs. He further pointed out that many Amazon workers rely on federal assistance programs for essentials like food, housing, and medical care, while the company itself has benefited from “billions of dollars” in federal contracts.
“What are Amazon’s plans to provide help and support for the many hundreds of thousands of workers you’ll be replacing with robots and AI?” said Sanders, in reference to the artificial intelligence software.
Additionally, two U.S. senators have pressed Amazon to clarify why it remains the country’s largest employer of H-1B visa holders even as it moves forward with large-scale layoffs of domestic staff.