Amazon’s gearing up for another big round of layoffs this time, it looks like as many as 16,000 corporate jobs could be cut as soon as next week, at least according to several reports. This isn’t coming out of nowhere. Amazon’s been trying to trim down and run more efficiently, and if you remember, they already let go of about 14,000 corporate workers back in late 2025.
Cuts Could Begin by Late January
People close to the situation say the company plans to start reducing those jobs around January 27, 2026. When you add it all up, these cuts could bring the total number of lost corporate roles to nearly 30,000, easily the biggest reduction Amazon’s ever seen on the white-collar side.
Corporate Teams Likely to Bear the Brunt
So who’s actually at risk here? The layoffs look set to hit corporate teams the hardest. Warehouse and fulfillment center workers aren’t the main targets this time. Instead, the biggest impact will probably fall on Amazon Web Services (AWS), retail and e-commerce teams, Prime Video, and Human Resources (what Amazon calls PXT). These groups make up a big chunk of Amazon’s corporate workforce, about 350,000 people. Though if you count everyone across the company worldwide, it’s over 1.5 million.
Why Amazon Is Restructuring
Why’s Amazon doing this? CEO Andy Jassy says it’s about cutting out unnecessary layers and making teams more nimble. He’s talked up the need to move faster and reduce bureaucracy. Leadership has also pointed to automation and AI as reasons for the shakeup. The way people work at Amazon is changing, and that’s led to some jobs overlapping or becoming redundant. While last year’s layoffs were partly about getting ready for AI, Jassy insists this is more about building a better, leaner organization, not just saving money in the short term.
Last time, Amazon gave laid-off employees 90 days on the payroll to look for other jobs inside or outside the company. It’s not clear if they’ll offer the same deal this time around.
Part of a Wider Tech Industry Slowdown
Amazon isn’t alone, either. Big tech has been on a bit of a downsizing spree lately. Companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft have all cut jobs as they try to find the right balance after growing too fast during the pandemic and as AI starts to change how everything works.
What This Means for Amazon Going Forward
Right now, Amazon hasn’t officially laid out all the details. But if these reports pan out, it’s a huge moment for the company. The real question is what happens to the teams affected, and how Amazon adapts to stay competitive in a rapidly changing industry.