Amazon initiates process for mass layoffs, 'some roles will no longer be required'

After US tech giants Twitter and Meta announced large-scale layoffs, American multinational technology company Amazon this week has initiated the process of laying off employees across the firm, according to reports in US media on Wednesday. Hardware chief Dave Limp stated in a memo to staff on Wednesday, “After a deep set of reviews, we recently decided to consolidate some teams and programs. One of the consequences of these decisions is that some roles will no longer be required,” ANI reported. 

Limp continued by saying, “It pains me to have to deliver this news as we know we will lose talented Amazonians from the Devices & Services org as a result”. According to him, the firm notified the affected workers and would keep in constant contact with each person to offer support, including aiding in the search for new employment. 

Mass layoffs in Amazon

Additionally, this week, The New York Times reported that Amazon intended to fire around 10,000 workers in corporate and technical positions. According to the article, these layoffs would be considered to be the biggest in the firm's history. Although the number represents about 3% of its corporate employees, the total number of job cuts "remains fluid" and may alter. Furthermore, the total number is fewer than 1% of its more than 1.5-million-people worldwide workforce, most of whom are hourly workers. 

The report even stated that the changes would mostly affect Amazon's gadget division, which includes voice assistant Alexa, as well as its retail sector and human resources.  

According to Kelly Nantel, a spokesperson for Amazon, some roles have been eliminated as part of the yearly operations planning review process. Citing Nantel, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday, “As part of our annual operating planning review process, we always look at each of our businesses and what we believe we should change. As we’ve gone through this, given the current macro-economic environment, some teams are making adjustments, which in some cases means certain roles are no longer necessary.” 

Meanwhile, the NYT stated that from April through September, the internet giant decreased its personnel by over 80,000 individuals, mostly through attrition among its hourly staff, signalling troubled times at Amazon. 

Notably, this announcement of upcoming layoffs at Amazon came on the same day when Jeff Bezos, the company's creator, told CNN that he intends to donate the majority of his USD 124 billion fortune to charity throughout his lifetime. 

(Image: AP/ Unsplash)