Amazon to reduce global workforce by 16,000 roles

E-commerce giant Amazon is cutting 16,000 jobs worldwide. The company has not yet specified which roles will be affected as it concentrates its efforts on artificial intelligence.

“The reductions we are implementing today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we are working (...) to support everyone whose position is affected,” the giant explained in a message to employees on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, which was seen by AFP. It added that new positions will be offered to some employees where possible.

In June 2025, Amazon chief executive officer Andy Jassy stated his intention to reduce costs amid the race to invest in artificial intelligence. Jassy had announced that the development of AI would, “in the coming years (...) reduce our office staff”. This resulted in an initial wave of 14,000 job cuts at the end of October 2025.

Beth Galetti, vice president of human resources and technology, had then suggested that these cuts were just one step before “continuing to recruit in key strategic areas while identifying other opportunities to eliminate (roles)” in 2026.

“As I mentioned in October, we have been working to strengthen our organisation by reducing layers, increasing accountability and eliminating bureaucracy,” Galetti stated in her message to employees on Wednesday. “While many teams finalised their organisational changes in October, others have only just completed this work,” she added. “As we implement these changes, we will also continue to recruit and invest in strategic areas and functions that are essential to our future,” she clarified.

The tenure of Jassy, which began in 2021, has already been marked by a similar move, with 27,000 job cuts during the winter of 2022-2023.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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