Amazon layoffs 2025: company begins 14,000 corporate job cuts, signals total reductions could reach 30,000 as AI reshapes roles

Amazon has begun a fresh round of corporate layoffs today (Tuesday, Oct. 28), notifying employees that roughly 14,000 roles are being eliminated now, with managers warned the overall reduction could ultimately climb to as high as 30,000 corporate positions in the months ahead. Internally, leaders framed the move as part of a multi-year push to streamline layers, move faster, and reallocate spending toward artificial intelligence and other “highest-conviction” bets.

Where the Amazon layoffs stand today

• Immediate impact: About 14,000 corporate jobs are being cut this week across multiple business units.

• Potential total: Internal guidance points to a ceiling up to 30,000 corporate roles—roughly 9–10% of Amazon’s white-collar workforce—depending on how restructuring progresses.

• Locations: Notifications began rolling out in the U.S., UK, Canada, and other regions, with timing varying by local labor laws.

• Reasoning given to staff: Leaders cited the need to remove bureaucracy, reduce overlapping management layers, and shift resources to AI infrastructure and product development.

Who is affected inside Amazon

Early breakdowns shared with teams indicate the first wave falls most heavily on corporate functions—including segments of retail/e-commerce, HR, operations/logistics, advertising, and select finance and support roles. Some groups will simultaneously continue hiring for priority initiatives, particularly those tied to AWS and AI-related workloads.

• Management focus: A large share of initial notices reportedly went to L5–L7 roles (early- to mid-level managers and front-line leaders), consistent with the goal of flattening org charts.

• Amazon Games / “New World”: Multiple internal notes and staff posts point to cuts within Amazon Games alongside a scaling back of some first-party AAA/MMO work. The extent of impact to live titles such as New World is still emerging; expect updates as internal reassignments and vendor contracts settle. (Developing.)

Severance, benefits, and internal mobility

Amazon is giving most affected corporate employees a 90-day paid period with full benefits to pursue internal roles, with recruiting instructed to prioritize internal candidates. Those who do not land a new role—or choose to exit—are being offered a severance package that typically includes cash severance, health-care coverage for a set period, outplacement support, and local law entitlements where applicable. Exact terms vary by country and tenure.

What impacted employees should know

• Internal search window: Use the 90-day clock aggressively; teams with open reqs are expected to fast-track internal interviews.

• Documentation: Keep written records of your notice, role level, and tenure; these often influence severance calculations and benefits continuation.

• Regional differences: WARN-period rules, notice pay, and redundancy requirements differ by jurisdiction; confirm country-specific details with HR.

• Equity & bonuses: Vesting schedules and prorated bonuses follow plan documents; request written confirmations on dates and eligibility.

Why now: the AI and capex pivot

Amazon has telegraphed a surge in capital spending in 2025—much of it toward data centers, networking, and custom silicon to support generative AI across AWS and consumer products. Leaders argue that to fund those long-duration investments, corporate functions must become leaner and more owner-driven, with fewer layers between builders and decisions. Today’s cuts follow several smaller, targeted reductions across individual teams earlier this year.

Investor snapshot

By late afternoon Tuesday, AMZN was trading around $230 (intraday), up modestly on heavy volume. Traders cited expectations that near-term margin tailwinds from lower operating expense—combined with longer-term AI revenue potential—could offset the disruption of restructuring. Price action is volatile on headline days; reactions may shift as the scale and mix of affected units becomes clearer.

What comes next

• Second-wave scope: Managers have been told to plan for additional tranches as org reviews conclude. Teams supporting AI priorities will keep hiring, while duplicated functions could see further consolidation.

• AWS watch: While cloud remains a strategic pillar, employees in several orgs said they’re bracing for efficiency reviews spilling into 2026—with changes likely to focus on roles overlapping with automation and self-service tooling. (Signals to watch, not confirmed.)

• Games and media: Expect clarity in the coming weeks on project cancellations, vendor adjustments, and live-ops staffing for affected titles and services.

Context: how this compares

Amazon carried out about 27,000 corporate cuts across 2022–2023, then slowed headcount growth while tightening performance bars and expanding return-to-office mandates. The 2025 actions are notable for their concentration in management layers and the explicit linkage to AI realignment, marking one of the company’s largest ever corporate reductions by roles eliminated in a single push.

Amazon’s 2025 layoffs begin with 14,000 corporate roles eliminated now and the door open to as many as 30,000 total cuts as reviews continue. The company is offering a 90-day paid internal search window, severance, and benefits support, while redirecting spend toward AI and infrastructure. Impacts on Amazon Games and other specific units are still unfolding; more details are expected as teams finalize reorg maps and employees work through the internal transfer period.