Amazon Cuts 14,000 Jobs As AI Reshapes The Workforce

The other day, Reuters reported that Amazon was going to lay off 30,000 corporate employees this week and that headline was shocking to me. Well, I'm relieved to tell you that Amazon apparently is only laying off 14,000 Corporate employees this week. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘Amazon told employees on Tuesday that it’s cutting 14,000 corporate jobs as it invests billions of dollars into artificial intelligence.
Amazon’s head of resources Beth Galetti told employees in an internal memo made public that the layoffs are a way the company is “reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets.” 

So, what is a corporate job? 

It may be safe to say that if you're driving an Amazon delivery truck. Or if you're working in a fulfillment center (Unless you're in management) your job is safe. 

Amazon is hoping to take some of those layoffs and turn them into reassignments, when possible, but layoffs will continue at least through the better part of 2026.  

Amazon currently has a corporate workforce of approximately 350,000, 50,000 of those people working in the Seattle area, another 14,000 in Bellevue. 

Why is this happening? 

Most reporters are claiming that the root cause of this problem, The mass laying off of individuals in the tech industry can be laid at the feet (If there are feet) of artificial intelligence.  

In a memo that was released on october 28th, Written by. Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon,
‘What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, and it's enabling companies to innovate much faster than ever before (in existing market segments and altogether new ones). We’re convinced that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.’ 

So yes, if you're looking for someone to blame, blame artificial intelligence. Amazon is placing a bet, and that bet is that artificial intelligence will be able to do the job of 14,000 corporate employees in 2026. Will AI be able to deliver on that promise? Only top management at Amazon will know for sure. The rest of us will just have to wait and see.
Amazon may lay off 30,000 corporate employees this week, Reuters reports | The Seattle Times
Amazon to lay off 14,000 corporate employees | The Seattle Times
An update from SVP Beth Galetti on Amazon workforce reduction