Amazon Set to Slash Thousands of Corporate Jobs as Pandemic Hiring Surge Reverses
In a move that could have far-reaching implications for the tech giant's workforce, Amazon is reportedly planning to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs, a significant reversal of its hiring spree during the pandemic. The decision, which would account for about 10% of the company's roughly 350,000 corporate employees, is seen as an effort by the Seattle-based technology firm to cut costs and undo the vast recruitment drive that was sparked at the height of the coronavirus crisis.
The layoffs come months after Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, warned white-collar employees that their jobs could be taken over by artificial intelligence. While the cuts are expected to hit a wide range of divisions within the company, including human resources, technology, devices and services, and operations, details on which specific teams will be affected remain scarce.
The move is not unexpected, given Amazon's efforts in recent years to reduce its workforce and streamline its operations. However, the scale of this latest round of cuts is significant, with CNBC describing it as the largest layoff in the company's history.
Other tech giants have also been shedding jobs in recent times, including Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet (Google). While Amazon has not commented on the layoffs, shares in the firm rose 1.2% on Monday ahead of the release of its quarterly earnings report later this week.
As part of its efforts to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency, Jassy introduced an initiative aimed at streamlining processes and reducing the number of managers. The company also established an anonymous complaint line that has elicited thousands of responses and more than 450 process changes. However, it appears that this effort is being followed by a significant overhaul of its workforce.
The impact of these layoffs on Amazon's employees will be felt for months to come, as managers prepare for the notifications that are expected to start going out via email tomorrow morning. With the shift towards automation and AI becoming increasingly prevalent in the industry, it remains to be seen how this move will shape the future of work at one of the world's largest employers.
In a move that could have far-reaching implications for the tech giant's workforce, Amazon is reportedly planning to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs, a significant reversal of its hiring spree during the pandemic. The decision, which would account for about 10% of the company's roughly 350,000 corporate employees, is seen as an effort by the Seattle-based technology firm to cut costs and undo the vast recruitment drive that was sparked at the height of the coronavirus crisis.
The layoffs come months after Amazon's CEO, Andy Jassy, warned white-collar employees that their jobs could be taken over by artificial intelligence. While the cuts are expected to hit a wide range of divisions within the company, including human resources, technology, devices and services, and operations, details on which specific teams will be affected remain scarce.
The move is not unexpected, given Amazon's efforts in recent years to reduce its workforce and streamline its operations. However, the scale of this latest round of cuts is significant, with CNBC describing it as the largest layoff in the company's history.
Other tech giants have also been shedding jobs in recent times, including Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet (Google). While Amazon has not commented on the layoffs, shares in the firm rose 1.2% on Monday ahead of the release of its quarterly earnings report later this week.
As part of its efforts to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency, Jassy introduced an initiative aimed at streamlining processes and reducing the number of managers. The company also established an anonymous complaint line that has elicited thousands of responses and more than 450 process changes. However, it appears that this effort is being followed by a significant overhaul of its workforce.
The impact of these layoffs on Amazon's employees will be felt for months to come, as managers prepare for the notifications that are expected to start going out via email tomorrow morning. With the shift towards automation and AI becoming increasingly prevalent in the industry, it remains to be seen how this move will shape the future of work at one of the world's largest employers.
30k is a huge number, 10% of their workforce, that's like a whole city 
. and its not just ppl in tech either, all over corporate america. this pandemic hiring spree was crazy, everyone wanted to work for amazon 
. but now they're backfiring. AI was the reason Andy Jassy said jobs could be taken away from white collar employees, sounds like he might've been right 
. and what about the thousands of ppl who responded to that anonymous complaint line? were they just sounding off or did Amazon actually listen to their concerns 
. this is a big deal, not just for amazon but for the whole industry 
.
they gotta deal with AI taking over their job lol what a nightmare 
dont get me wrong i'm not sayin its bad for employees or anythin, but it does feel like amazon's tryna stay competitive in a world where tech is changin so fast 
, I feel for all those people getting the axe 
. I hope they're being upfront with employees about what this means for their roles and future prospects 
. It's not just about cost-cutting, either - it's about how AI's gonna change the game 
. As someone who's worked in tech for years, it's surreal to see such a massive shakeup happening 
. Do you guys think this is the future of work or just a normal cycle of downsizing? 
. I remember when COVID-19 first started, everyone was freaking out and job hunting was crazy. But now it seems like the opposite is happening 
. I guess Amazon just wants to get back to being lean and mean after all those pandemic hires 
.
. Anyone else worried about the future of work in tech? 
Not sure how this'll affect the future of work, but I'm hoping it leads to better processes and less bureaucracy 
Amazon's been trying to cut costs for ages. like, remember when they started acquiring all these new companies and stuff? it was just a matter of time before they had to reel it in. AI's gonna be huge, but humans can't do everything anymore 
anyway, 30k jobs down the drain... that's still crazy though 
. i hope the ones who are leaving get some decent severance package tho 
. personally i think its a sign of the times, like we're moving towards a world where machines are doing everything and humans are just... not needed anymore 
. Who needs stability when you can have AI takeover 