by Seattle, WA — Amazon has initiated one of the biggest engineering layoffs in its 31-year history, dismissing more than 1,800 engineers in October alone as part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at increasing efficiency and accelerating innovation.
The cuts were confirmed through Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filings across California, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, marking a significant workforce shift at a company that still employs more than 1.57 million people worldwide.
In total, the layoffs represented roughly 40% of the 4,700 jobs Amazon cut in October.
Why Amazon Says the Layoffs Were Necessary
According to Amazon’s senior leadership, the goal is to streamline teams, reduce layers of management, and redirect resources toward emerging technology.
Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, said the company must prioritize artificial intelligence engineering talent to keep pace with a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
“This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the internet,” Galetti wrote in a memo. “We’re convinced that we need to be organized more leanly, with fewer layers and more ownership.”
Industry-wide, tech firms have collectively laid off more than 113,000 workers across 231 companies this year, according to Layoffs.fyi, showing a broader shift toward automation, AI adoption, and cost-cutting.
The Engineers Most Affected
Most of the terminated roles were software engineering positions, traditionally considered core to Amazon’s technology infrastructure. The move signals a shift in which traditional engineering jobs are being replaced or restructured around new AI-driven systems.
The layoffs come despite Amazon’s massive growth over the past four years. The company’s current workforce is double what it was in 2019, and its market cap—now over $2.3 trillion—is among the five largest in the world.
Still, CEO Andy Jassy has repeatedly emphasized that Amazon must eliminate inefficiencies and reduce “organizational fat” to remain competitive.
More Layoffs Expected in January
The October cuts may only be the beginning. Internal communications suggest Amazon will announce additional reductions in January, continuing a restructuring plan designed to speed up decision-making and reduce bureaucracy across logistics, retail, cloud services, and internal tech teams.
Amazon insists that the restructuring is not just about saving money but about repositioning the company to lead in the next era of AI-powered operations.
What This Means for Workers and the Tech Industry
With more than 14,000 Amazon layoffs announced last month, employees across the tech industry are bracing for continuing instability.
Tech analysts warn that roles not tied directly to machine learning, automation, or core AI development may face heightened risk in 2025 and beyond.
Amazon maintains that innovation remains at the center of the shake-up.
“We are reorganizing to move as quickly as possible for our customers and our business,” Galetti said.
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