Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs
Amazon confirmed 16,000 job cuts as CEO Andy Jassy pushes AWS and the company toward a $600 billion AI-driven future under the restructuring dubbed ‘Project Dawn’. The layoffs come alongside heavy infrastructure spending and a strategic pivot to AI-powered cloud services. (storyboard18.com)
The January 28, 2026 round was the company’s second major corporate reduction after roughly 14,000 cuts in October, taking announced corporate reductions since autumn to about 30,000. (cnbc.com) A draft calendar invite and email tied to the restructuring were accidentally distributed and then recalled; the draft was signed by Colleen Aubrey and indicated notifications to staff in the United States, Canada and Costa Rica. (abc.net.au) Beth Galetti’s internal memo framed the changes as an effort to “reduce layers, increase ownership and remove bureaucracy,” and the company told U.S.-based impacted employees they would have a 90‑day window to apply for other internal roles while receiving severance, outplacement and continued health benefits. (aboutamazon.com) Amazon leadership discussed elevated AI-driven demand at an internal all‑hands on March 17, 2026, according to a Reuters review, and Amazon Web Services reported $128.7 billion in revenue for 2025. (finance.yahoo.com) The company has also signaled a roughly $200 billion capital‑expenditure plan for 2026 concentrated on data centers, chips and AI infrastructure, guidance that triggered sharp after‑hours selling of the stock following the earnings call. (cnbc.com) Reporting shows the reductions span AWS product teams, retail and Prime Video groups plus the People Experience & Technology unit, even as Amazon says it will continue hiring for strategic AI, cloud and custom‑silicon engineering roles. (news18.com)
