Amazon says it will cut 16,000 corporate jobs, completing a plan to shed around 30,000 positions since October, as the company restructures and increases its use of artificial intelligence.
The layoffs affect nearly 10% of Amazon’s corporate workforce and mark the largest job cuts in the company’s history. Most of Amazon’s 1.58 million employees work in fulfilment centres and warehouses.
The company says the cuts are aimed at reducing management layers, cutting bureaucracy and increasing ownership across teams. Amazon’s top human resources executive Beth Galetti said some teams may still make further adjustments. Most U.S.-based employees whose roles are affected will be given 90 days to look for another job inside the company. Timing may vary in other countries depending on local labour rules.
Amazon has also announced it is closing its remaining Fresh grocery stores and Go markets and is dropping its Amazon One palm-scan payment system after years of investment.
The move comes as CEO Andy Jassy pushes to abandon underperforming businesses and streamline operations. He has said wider use of generative AI and internal AI agents will change how work is done across Amazon. Jassy has warned the company will need fewer people in some roles and more in others as efficiency gains from AI grow, and that overall corporate headcount is likely to fall in the coming years.
The latest round follows 14,000 job cuts announced in October, which Amazon linked to the growing role of AI and concerns about corporate culture.
Amazon also mistakenly sent an internal email referencing the layoffs as “Project Dawn” to some Amazon Web Services staff, unsettling thousands of employees. Workers across AWS, Alexa, Prime Video, devices, advertising and last-mile delivery teams say they have been affected.
Amazon has been cutting costs so it can invest more heavily in AI and in the rapid expansion of data centres. The company has said capital spending is expected to reach about $125 billion in 2026.
Shares in Amazon were up slightly in pre-market trading.
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Iran is pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday (15 February), days before a second round of talks between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
American figure skating star Ilia Malinin endured a dramatic collapse in the men’s free skate on Friday night, falling twice and tumbling out of medal contention at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics as Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov surged to a surprise gold medal.
“Respected and feared globally,” U.S. President Donald Trump told troops at Fort Bragg on Friday (13 February), framing America’s renewed strength against to mounting pressure on Iran amid stalled nuclear talks.
Speaking at Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha calls for decisive steps ahead of expected Geneva talks
Thousands of fans packed River Plate’s Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on Friday for the first of three sold-out concerts by Puerto Rican reggaeton star Bad Bunny, as part of his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” World Tour.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has criticised a video shared by President Donald Trump depicting him and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, describing it as “deeply troubling”.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a two-day visit to Slovakia and Hungary on Sunday (15 February), aimed at strengthening ties with the two Central European nations, whose leaders have maintained close relations with President Donald Trump.
The Munich Security Conference concludes on Sunday (15 February) with discussions centred on Europe’s role in an increasingly unstable global landscape, including security coordination, economic competitiveness and the protection of democratic values.
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