Amazon has announced a new round of layoffs, primarily targeting its e-commerce division, which manages the company's core online shopping business. This move reflects the company's ongoing efforts to restructure its operations and reduce administrative levels, while increasing investments in modern technologies and artificial intelligence. According to a report by Reuters, the layoffs affected less than 1,000 office employees in the US, India, and UK.
The new round of layoffs focuses on the "Stores" division, which oversees Amazon's main e-commerce platform and includes units related to customer service, seller support, and commercial operations. Reuters reported that internal messages on the company's Slack platform, which it had access to, revealed that several departments, including customer services and seller support, were impacted, with potential extensions to other units.
Amazon stated that it made adjustments to parts of its stores business, believing that the new organizational structure would better support its current priorities. This decision is an extension of a wide-restructuring program that began in 2025 and continued into 2026, resulting in the elimination of approximately 30,000 office jobs. In October 2025, Amazon announced plans to cut around 14,000 jobs, aiming to reduce bureaucracy and administrative levels, increase decision-making speed, and enhance direct accountability within work teams.
In a statement at the time, Beth Galetti, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Employee Experience, explained that some departments had not yet completed the organizational changes that started in previous months. Galetti emphasized that Amazon would continue to hire and invest in strategic areas, despite reducing staff in other sectors, and that the company did not aim to conduct regular, large-scale layoffs.
On October 7, Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos attributed the ongoing job cuts to the significant expansion of hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bezos noted that exceptional demand for e-commerce during the pandemic led the company to substantially increase its workforce to meet consumer needs, as people relied more heavily on home shopping.
These statements reflect the company's efforts to realign its workforce size with demand and operational needs after the pandemic. This restructuring coincides with a broader shift in priorities among global technology companies, which are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, while reviewing operating costs and human resources.
Amazon's efforts to adapt to changing demands and technological advancements are ongoing, with the company focusing on creating a more agile organizational structure. The layoffs are part of this process, as Amazon continues to prioritize investments in strategic areas, while adjusting its workforce to meet evolving business needs.
Key points
- Amazon lays off less than 1,000 office staff in US, India, and UK as part of ongoing restructuring efforts
- The layoffs are part of a wider restructuring program that began in 2025 and has resulted in the elimination of approximately 30,000 office jobs
- Amazon's CEO attributes the layoffs to the company's significant expansion of hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic
