Mirror Review
October 28, 2025
Amazon is preparing to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs, beginning this week.
Since the company as a whole has about 1.55 million employees, the cuts affect nearly 10% of its roughly 350,000 corporate staff.
Departments impacted due to the Amazon layoffs include:
- Human resources (People Experience & Technology, or PXT)
- Devices & services
- Operations
- It’s cloud business Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Here are the key reasons why the Amazon Layoffs are happening
1. Pandemic hiring boom left Amazon overstaffed
During COVID-19, Amazon dramatically expanded its workforce both in logistics and in corporate roles to keep up with booming e-commerce demand.
Now, the company acknowledges that many of those office-jobs are no longer aligned with current priorities.
According to Reuters, Amazon is “paring expenses and compensating for over-hiring during the peak demand of the pandemic.”
When you hire broadly to meet a surge and then the growth stabilises, the cost structure gets heavy.
So the Amazon job cuts reflect a correction to match the “new normal” demand.
In short, the pandemic created inflated budgets and staff levels. Now they’re clearing out roles that don’t align with scaled-back momentum.
2. AI and automation are replacing routine corporate work
Amazon’s leadership has openly stated that automation and AI will reduce certain categories of jobs.
In June 2025, CEO Andy Jassy told staff that “we will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today” as AI tools ramp up.
Cutting up to 30,000 corporate roles suggests Amazon believes it is reaching sufficient productivity gains in corporate functions.
Reuters notes the move “signals that Amazon is likely realizing enough AI-driven productivity gains within corporate teams to support a substantial reduction in force.”
Thus, the Amazon Layoffs reflect not only cost-cutting but a strategic shift: invest in tech, reduce human layers.
3. Slowing growth in AWS / cloud and increased cost pressure
While Amazon’s retail business and advertising grew strongly, AWS posted 17.5% growth in Q2 2025 (to $30.9 billion).
Analysts flagged that Amazon’s cloud arm is under pressure, and Amazon’s cost base is rising due to large infrastructure and AI-capex.
So Amazon is under dual pressure: needing to invest heavily for future growth (especially AI/cloud) while managing current profitability.
The Amazon firing helps align expenses with expected slower cloud margins and increased investments.
4. Cutting bureaucracy to speed up decisions
A theme in Amazon’s internal messaging: reduce layers of management, streamline decision-making.
Moreover, Jassy has described an “excess of bureaucracy” and has installed an anonymous feedback line, which produced 1,500 responses and 450 process changes.
The Amazon Layoffs are thus partially about removing redundant roles, flattening the organisation, and shifting to a leaner structure tied to productivity and agility.
5. Strict return-to-office rules increased attrition
Another less obvious factor: Amazon’s strict push for in-office work (five days a week) reportedly failed to generate sufficient attrition, so the company is moving to forced attrition strategies.
Reports suggest that some remote workers who did not swipe in were told they “voluntarily quit, avoiding severance costs.”
Thus, the Amazon Layoffs combine explicit job cuts and implicit attrition to clean up a workforce that is less connected to the offices and, by Amazon’s standard, less engaged.
6. Shifting investment toward growth and frontline roles
While corporate teams shrink, Amazon is hiring and retraining in other areas.
The company plans to add 250,000 seasonal and operational workers in the U.S. this holiday season, offering $23/hour for full-time roles and $19/hour for seasonal jobs.
It’s also expanding its Career Choice and Future of Work training programs, which have already upskilled 700,000+ employees globally in areas like robotics, AI, and cloud computing.
These efforts show that the Amazon Layoff is about cutting legacy roles while investing in automation, logistics, and tech-driven growth.
Key Details of the Amazon Layoffs 2025
| Metric | Value |
| Corporate jobs targeted for cuts | Up to 30,000 |
| Approximate corporate workforce | ~350,000 |
| Percentage of corporate workforce | ≈ 10% |
| Total Amazon workforce | ~1.55 million |
| Q2 2025 net sales | US$167.7 billion |
| Q2 2025 AWS sales growth | 17.5% to US$30.9 billion |
Why the Amazon Layoffs matter and what to expect
- For job seekers: Middle management and routine corporate roles are most at risk as automation scales.
- For tech talent: Demand is shifting toward logistics, cloud, and AI-skilled roles.
- For investors: The layoffs may help Amazon control costs amid slower AWS growth.
- For the industry: Amazon’s restructuring mirrors a broader Big Tech shift from “growth at all costs” to “growth through efficiency.”
Conclusion
The Amazon Layoffs reflect a new transformation at Amazon: from pandemic-fueled hiring sprees to a new phase driven by AI, automation, and cost discipline.
Whether you’re inside Amazon, working in tech, or tracking the industry, the message is clear: future growth equals fewer legacy roles and more tech-enabled, high-velocity functions.
