Amazon fires more employees, says layoffs will help move faster and bring closer to customers
Amazon is firing more employees in a fresh round of layoffs. This time, the tech company is eliminating a “small number of roles” in its communications department, as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs.
The move is Amazon’s part of a broader strategy to cut bureaucracy and improve the company’s efficiency, helping teams move faster and get closer to customers.
A spokesperson for Amazon, Brad Glasser, confirmed the decision to Bloomberg and said that the company had conducted a recent review of its Communications and Corporate Responsibility organisation. Based on this, Amazon decided to make changes, including the elimination of some roles.
“These decisions are never easy,” Glasser stated, “but they are necessary to help us move faster, increase ownership, and strengthen our culture while bringing our teams closer to customers. We are committed to supporting the employees affected during this transition.”
The layoffs come as Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, continues his efforts to reshape the company following his appointment as CEO in 2021. Since taking over from founder Jeff Bezos, Jassy has overseen a series of job cuts and has scaled back on several ambitious projects that no longer align with Amazon’s core business. This includes thousands of job cuts across the company as part of a wider effort to tighten operations.
Amazon’s largest wave of job cuts occurred in 2022, affecting 27,000 corporate roles across different departments. In the time since, the company has carried out smaller, more focused layoffs, targeting specific teams and areas that require downsizing. The communications department is the latest to be affected as Amazon continues to find ways to cut costs and operate more efficiently.
In addition to layoffs, Amazon has implemented a return-to-office mandate for its corporate employees, requiring them to work from the office five days a week. Many saw this as a way to encourage voluntary resignations, although Jassy said the move was about implementing Amazon’s corporate culture.
In September, Jassy also directed executives to reorganise their business units by the end of March, focusing on reducing the number of managers relative to individual contributors. The goal is to simplify the management structure, make decision-making quicker, and ensure that teams are more agile in responding to customer needs.
While the latest layoffs may raise concerns among employees, Amazon has maintained that it remains committed to helping affected workers through the transition process. Though the company hasn’t specified the exact number of employees impacted, it stressed that support will be available for those losing their jobs.
