Amazon layoff strategy 2026 explained: Amazon layoffs: 30,000 jobs cut in four months – here’s what employees were just told about future layoff strategy
Amazon layoffs 2026: Amazon employees looking for certainty after months of job cuts got a cautious answer from company leadership that mass layoffs are not becoming a routine, but ongoing changes are here to stay.
Amazon layoffs update: Company rules out routine mass job cuts
After Amazon eliminated 16,000 corporate roles on January 28, Beth Galetti, the company’s Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, reached out to staff to address rising concern. The latest cuts followed another round in October that removed 14,000 jobs, bringing the total to about 30,000 corporate positions cut in less than four months, as per a report.
Amazon layoffs 2026: Beth Galetti reassures employees after 16,000 Amazon jobs cut in January
In her message, Galetti said Amazon does not plan to announce sweeping layoffs every few months. At the same time, she made clear that teams will continue to make “adjustments as appropriate” as they review how fast they are moving and how customer needs are changing.
Galetti wrote, “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,” as quoted by TOI.
The approach signals no fixed schedule for large reductions, but continued trimming at the team level. Galetti explained that, “Just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers,” as quoted by TOI.
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AWS, Prime, and retail teams affected by latest Amazon layoffs
The January layoffs stretched across much of Amazon’s business. In AWS, cuts affected teams working on Bedrock, the AI service positioned against OpenAI, as well as Redshift, the company’s data warehouse product. The ProServe consulting unit also lost roles. On the retail side, Prime subscriptions and last-mile delivery were hit. Many of the employees seeking new internal positions through company Slack channels were software engineers.
Amazon leadership pushes “world’s largest startup” strategy
Inside the company, executives are framing the reductions as part of a broader reset rather than a short-term cost move. Internal notes from AWS leaders Prasad Kalyanaraman and Colleen Aubrey used nearly identical language, describing Amazon’s goal of operating like the “world’s largest startup,” with an emphasis on ownership, speed, and experimentation, as per the TOI report.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy calls for fewer layers and faster decision-making
That message aligns with CEO Andy Jassy’s recent shareholder letters, where he has pushed for fewer management layers, less bureaucracy, and more responsibility placed on individual contributors. Jassy has also said AI will eventually reduce Amazon’s workforce through efficiency gains, though executives have stressed that the recent layoffs were about reshaping culture, not replacing workers with automation.
Amazon offers 90-day internal job search and severance support for US staff
For US employees whose roles were eliminated, Amazon is offering a 90-day period to search for internal opportunities. Those who do not secure new roles will receive severance, outplacement support, and extended health benefits. Galetti said that Amazon is “still in the early stages of building every one of our businesses” and will keep hiring in strategic areas, as quoted by TOI.
FAQs
How many jobs has Amazon cut recently?
About 30,000 corporate roles have been eliminated in less than four months.
Which teams were affected by Amazon layoffs in January?
AWS, ProServe, Prime subscriptions, and last-mile delivery teams were impacted.
