Amazon plans to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday
Amazon is planning its largest layoff since 2022, cutting up to 30,000 corporate jobs starting Tuesday to reduce costs after pandemic overhiring.
October 27, 2025 - 03:59 PM ET • 2 min read
Amazon is preparing to eliminate as many as 30,000 corporate positions starting Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the matter. The planned reduction represents the largest job cut at the e-commerce giant since late 2022 and early 2023, when approximately 27,000 roles were eliminated.
The layoffs are intended to pare expenses and compensate for the significant overhiring that took place during the peak demand experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sources indicated. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the reports.
The 30,000 positions targeted for elimination are concentrated among Amazon's corporate staff. This figure represents nearly 10% of the company's estimated 350,000 corporate employees, or roughly 8.5% according to some reports.
While substantial for the office workforce, the cuts represent only a small fraction of Amazon's total global employee base, which stands at approximately 1.55 million people.
The impending layoffs follow a period of rapid expansion during the pandemic, when Amazon significantly increased its workforce to manage the surge in online shopping and digital services demand. The company has since focused on efficiency and cost reduction as the pandemic-era boom subsided.
The job cuts beginning this week may impact a variety of divisions across the company. Reports suggest that managers of affected teams were asked to undergo training on Monday in preparation for the announcement. Divisions potentially impacted include operations, devices and services, and human resources, which Amazon refers to as People Experience and Technology.
The planned reduction of up to 30,000 roles marks a significant acceleration of cost-cutting measures that Amazon has pursued over the past two years. The company has already been trimming smaller numbers of jobs across multiple divisions, including podcasting, communications, and devices.
The previous major round of layoffs, which began in late 2022 and extended into early 2023, was also attributed to the need to adjust staffing levels following the pandemic-driven surge in growth.
The planned workforce reduction comes despite strong recent financial performance. In its latest corporate results, Amazon reported obtaining a net profit of $35.291 billion (€30.299 million) in the first half of the year, marking an increase of nearly 50%. Sales during the same period ascended to $323.369 billion (€277.630 billion). The layoffs appear to be a strategic move to optimize long-term operational efficiency and reduce overhead costs accumulated during the period of rapid expansion.