Amazon is cutting around 16,000 enterprise jobs worldwide in a major workforce restructuring announced on January 28, 2026, the company confirmed in an internal memo to staff.
The downsizing is part of a broader plan that could eliminate nearly 30,000 white-collar jobs by mid-2026 as Amazon tries to streamline its organization after rapid pandemic-era expansion.
The decision affects teams in key units including cloud computing, retail, human resources and media, and comes amid wider industry layoffs at big tech companies.
Amazon’s internal message, shared by Beth Galetti, senior vice president of People Experience and Technology, clearly stated that “the reductions we are making today will affect approximately 16,000 roles at Amazon” and emphasized support for those affected.
The company has framed the move as part of a long-term organizational reset rather than a short-term cost-cutting exercise. Amazon’s leadership has previously described efforts to reduce layers of bureaucracy and improve the speed of decision-making as key drivers behind the cuts.
In the note, Galetti was referring to this ongoing restructuring, noting that previous organizational changes had not been completed in some teams until now.
Industry analysts see the layoffs as part of a broader shift in technology, where companies are rebalancing the workforce after over-hiring during the pandemic and realigning priorities around emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Amazon’s memo outlined specific provisions for employees whose roles are being eliminated. For US-based staff, most will have a period to look for new positions within the company.
As Galetti explained, “This starts by giving most US employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (time will vary internationally based on local and national requirements).”
This internal transfer window mirrors the practices of other large tech companies during layoffs, where companies aim to retain talent by moving employees to open positions that match their skills. However, not everyone affected will get new roles.
For those who don’t find new positions or choose not to look internally, the memo said Amazon will provide a range of transition supports. Galetti wrote that for those employees, the company would provide “transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits (as applicable) and more.”
These measures are typical of large-scale layoffs and aim to cushion the impact on workers while allowing career transitions.
Layoffs at a company the size of Amazon often fuel speculation about whether they are part of an ongoing pattern. In its internal communication, Amazon addressed this directly.
Galetti acknowledged the uncertainty, but stated that “some of you might ask if this is the start of a new rhythm, where we announce big reductions every few months. That’s not our plan.”
He went on to say that normal business assessment processes will continue, with each team assessing their ability to deliver and innovate in a rapidly changing environment.
According to the note, “Each team will continue to evaluate the ownership, velocity and ability to innovate for customers, and make adjustments accordingly. This has never been more important than today in a world that is changing faster than ever.”
Amazon’s reassurance parallels comments from leadership that previous rounds of layoffs were more tied to organizational culture and structural evolution than immediate financial performance.
Despite the scale of the job cuts, Amazon also reiterated its ongoing investments in strategic business areas. The memo emphasized that “as we make these changes, we will also continue to hire and invest in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future.”
The company said it is in the early stages of building out its core business units and sees “significant opportunity ahead,” stressing that the layoffs are aimed at reallocating resources rather than halting growth.
Public reports show that while reducing corporate headcount, Amazon continues to expand in areas such as cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence, as well as logistics and delivery technologies.
The latest round of cuts follows roughly 14,000 layoffs announced in October 2025, bringing the company’s job cuts to nearly 10 percent of Amazon’s office workforce of roughly 350,000.
Layoffs in the technology sector have remained high, with companies citing automation, economic uncertainty and changing business priorities as key factors.
Amazon’s approach—combining layoffs with continued hiring in strategic areas—is consistent with trends at major tech companies adjusting to post-pandemic business environments.
“What Amazon told employees about cutting 16,000 jobs” was originally created and published by Retail Insight Networka trademark owned by GlobalData.
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