Amazon is finalizing a plan to cut up to 30.000 corporate jobs worldwide, in what would be the largest office restructuring in its history. The move is part of a reorganization that began in 2022 and would affect a significant portion of its office workforce, without directly impacting delivery operations.
According to specialized media and international agencies, the layoffs will be announced in phases, with notifications potentially beginning this Tuesday in several divisions . The figure represents approximately 8,5% of the company's roughly 350.000 corporate employees , within a company that, in total, employs over 1.5 million workers across all its business lines.
Scope of the cuts and affected areas
The departures will be concentrated in the corporate and administrative structure , with a particular impact on human resources, operations, devices, services, and, to a lesser extent, technology units such as AWS . According to team leaders, termination notices will be sent to affected employees throughout the week.
This adjustment does not affect frontline staff in warehouses or delivery. Various sources indicate that no significant impact is expected on the logistics network that supports e-commerce, something particularly sensitive during the peak demand season.
In Europe, including Spain, the company has not provided a breakdown by country. It has reiterated, however, that the measure is part of a global restructuring to improve efficiency following years of heavy hiring during the pandemic, when the e-commerce giant rapidly expanded its footprint.
This decision comes after Amazon eliminated approximately 27.000 jobs between 2022 and 2023. It had never before undertaken an office reduction of this magnitude in a single move , according to sources consulted by the media.
Why now: costs, over-hiring, and the rise of AI
The company is looking to contain costs and simplify structures after the over-hiring during the COVID-19 years. At the same time, it is accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and automation to boost productivity, a factor that CEO Andy Jassy himself has identified as a key driver for reorganizing roles.
Jassy warned the staff that generative AI will change the way they work , with less need for some tasks and more demand for others. Along these lines, several reports point to automation plans that would allow them to avoid future hiring in certain areas; the company, however, clarifies that the robots are designed to support employees and improve safety and efficiency.
Industry sources indicate that this round of cuts coincides with strategic investments in AWS, AI, and robotics, areas that will continue to absorb capital. The goal is to reallocate resources to businesses with the greatest potential, while streamlining structures in redundant or less critical functions.
Beyond the headlines about automation, Amazon insists it will continue to strengthen key teams and that personnel decisions are evaluated by unit and performance , not as a single policy for the entire organization.
The context of the sector and Amazon's accounts
The restructuring comes just before the company's next earnings report. Analysts anticipate revenue growth of around 11% year-on-year and slight pressure on net profit due to increased investments in AI and logistics , in addition to the costs associated with the restructuring itself.
In the last reported semester, Amazon reported a net profit of $35.291 billion and sales of $323.369 billion, figures that confirm the good tone of the revenues despite the environment of high interest rates and competition in the cloud, where it competes with Microsoft and Google.
Meanwhile, the tech sector has seen tens of thousands of job cuts so far this year. Tracking platforms like Layoffs.fyi estimate that nearly 98.000 jobs have already been lost across more than two hundred companies, reflecting a return to normalcy after the pandemic and a shift towards higher-margin businesses.
Despite the adjustments, the end-of-year campaign remains on track. Amazon has announced plans to hire 250.000 temporary workers to handle seasonal demand peaks, a sign that business operations will continue at full capacity.
After the reduction plans were announced, the market reacted with moderate gains in the company's value, interpreting the cuts as improving the company's efficiency and cost profile in the medium term.
Pending confirmations from country by country, the picture that emerges is one of a significant reduction in offices and corporate functions , accompanied by more automation and a focus on strategic businesses, while logistics and commercial activity continues to be geared towards sustaining growth and demand in Europe and the rest of the regions.
