Amazon Layoffs 2025: Complete Timeline, 14,000 Corporate Roles Cut, and What Comes Next

On October 28, 2025, Amazon confirmed what many employees had feared: the company is eliminating 14,000 corporate positions, approximately 4% of its 350,000-person corporate and technology workforce (or 0.9% of the company's 1.5+ million total employees when including warehouse and fulfillment workers), in what Beth Galetti, SVP of People Experience and Technology, described as "streamlining corporate structure" and "removing layers." This isn't Amazon's first major workforce reduction, and based on executive statements and industry trends, it likely won't be the last.

For current and former Amazon employees, job seekers considering the company, and anyone tracking the broader employment landscape, understanding Amazon's layoff trajectory is crucial. This article provides the complete timeline of Amazon's workforce reductions, analyzes the strategic drivers behind these cuts, examines which divisions are most affected, and offers insights into what's likely coming next.

The Complete Amazon Layoffs Timeline: 2023-2025

Amazon's current wave of layoffs didn't begin in 2025, it's the culmination of a multi-year correction following unprecedented pandemic-era expansion. Here's the complete timeline:

2023: The Great Correction Begins

January 2023: 18,000 positions eliminated
Amazon kicked off 2023 with its largest-ever single layoff announcement, cutting 18,000 corporate and technology roles. CEO Andy Jassy cited "the uncertain economy" and acknowledged the company had "hired rapidly over several years." Affected divisions included AWS (Amazon Web Services), advertising, Twitch, and corporate recruiting teams.

March 2023: Additional 9,000 cuts announced
Just two months later, Amazon announced another 9,000 layoffs, primarily targeting AWS, advertising, Twitch, and human resources. Jassy's memo emphasized "streamlining costs" and becoming "better set up to deliver on our top priorities."

Total 2023 Impact: 27,000 positions eliminated

2024: Selective Optimization

Throughout 2024: Estimated 15,000-20,000 additional cuts
While Amazon didn't announce major company-wide layoffs in 2024, multiple divisions conducted "targeted" workforce reductions:

• Prime Video and Studios: Several hundred positions eliminated as the division restructured content strategy
• Alexa and Devices: Significant cuts as the company pivoted toward AI-powered voice assistants
• Amazon Pharmacy: Workforce reduction following slower-than-expected growth
• Physical Stores (Whole Foods, Amazon Go): Ongoing optimization of retail operations
• Corporate Functions: Continuous "performance management" eliminations across HR, finance, and operations

Amazon didn't publicize these cuts as single events, but employee reports and WARN Act filings suggest 15,000-20,000 additional positions were eliminated throughout 2024, a textbook example of the "forever layoffs" strategy we've documented.

2025: AI-Driven Restructuring

June 17, 2025: Andy Jassy signals AI workforce reduction
In a memo to employees, CEO Andy Jassy explicitly connected AI capabilities to future workforce needs, stating that increased AI investment would enable the company to operate more efficiently with fewer employees. This memo set the stage for the October announcement.

October 28, 2025: 14,000 corporate positions eliminated
Beth Galetti, Amazon's SVP of People Experience and Technology, announced the elimination of 14,000 corporate positions in a memo to employees. The announcement explicitly connected the cuts to AI integration and "increased investment in AI capabilities," marking a shift from 2023's "economic uncertainty" narrative to a more permanent structural transformation focused on the corporate and technology workforce specifically.

Cumulative 2023-2025 Impact: 56,000-61,000 positions eliminated

This represents approximately 4% of Amazon's total workforce, but the impact on corporate and technology roles is far more severe, with the October 2025 cuts alone representing 4% of the 350,000-person corporate workforce, and cumulative cuts likely exceeding 15-20% in certain divisions.

Why Amazon Is Cutting: The Strategic Drivers

Understanding why Amazon is conducting these layoffs requires looking beyond the official explanations to the underlying business dynamics:

1. Pandemic Overcorrection

Between 2019 and 2022, Amazon's workforce exploded from approximately 750,000 to over 1.6 million employees, more than doubling in three years. This expansion was driven by:

• E-commerce boom during COVID-19 lockdowns
• Massive AWS growth as companies accelerated cloud migration
• Aggressive expansion into new markets (healthcare, advertising, entertainment)
• Competitive pressure to hire tech talent before rivals could

As pandemic tailwinds faded and e-commerce growth normalized, Amazon found itself dramatically overstaffed, particularly in corporate functions that had scaled to support anticipated growth that never materialized.

2. AI-Enabled Efficiency

Both Jassy's June 2025 memo and Galetti's October announcement were explicit: Amazon is "increasing investment in AI capabilities" while simultaneously reducing headcount. This isn't contradictory, it's the core strategy.

Amazon is deploying AI across virtually every corporate function:

• Customer Service: AI chatbots and automated response systems handling routine inquiries
• Software Development: AI coding assistants (Amazon CodeWhisperer) increasing developer productivity
• Operations Planning: Machine learning optimizing logistics, inventory, and fulfillment
• Marketing and Advertising: Automated campaign management and creative generation
• HR and Recruiting: AI-powered resume screening and candidate assessment
• Financial Analysis: Automated reporting and forecasting

Each of these implementations reduces the need for human workers. When an AI tool can handle 70% of customer service inquiries, you don't need as many support specialists. When developers are 40% more productive with AI assistants, you don't need as many engineers.

3. Margin Pressure and Profitability Focus

Despite being one of the world's largest companies, Amazon faces intense margin pressure:

• E-commerce margins remain thin: The retail business operates on razor-thin profitability, with fulfillment and logistics costs consuming most revenue
• AWS growth is slowing: While still highly profitable, AWS faces intensifying competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, with growth rates declining from 30%+ to mid-teens
• New ventures are costly: Investments in healthcare (Amazon Pharmacy, One Medical), entertainment (Prime Video originals), and advertising require substantial capital with uncertain returns

Wall Street increasingly demands that Amazon improve profitability rather than simply pursuing growth. Workforce reduction is the fastest path to margin improvement, particularly when AI tools can maintain or even improve productivity with fewer employees.

4. Return-to-Office Enforcement

Amazon's aggressive five-day return-to-office mandate, announced on September 16, 2024, with enforcement beginning January 2, 2025, serves multiple purposes, including facilitating workforce reduction.

By requiring all corporate employees to work from physical offices five days per week, Amazon effectively forced voluntary attrition among workers who had relocated during the pandemic or who valued remote flexibility. Industry estimates suggest 15-25% of affected employees chose to resign rather than comply, allowing Amazon to reduce headcount without formal layoffs or severance costs.

For employees who did comply, the RTO mandate makes subsequent layoffs easier to execute: managers can more easily monitor and performance-manage employees in person, and the company avoids the logistical complexity of remote workforce reductions.

Which Amazon Divisions Are Most Affected

While Amazon hasn't provided detailed breakdowns of the October 2025 cuts, patterns from previous layoffs and employee reports reveal which divisions face the greatest risk:

High-Risk Divisions

Corporate Functions (HR, Finance, Legal, Communications): These support organizations scaled dramatically during Amazon's expansion but are prime targets for AI-enabled optimization. Expect 20-30% cumulative reductions across these functions by end of 2026.

Alexa and Devices: Amazon's voice assistant and hardware division has struggled to achieve profitability despite years of investment. With generative AI transforming voice interaction, Amazon is restructuring this division around new technology, eliminating roles tied to legacy Alexa architecture.

Prime Video and Studios: Amazon's entertainment division faces the same challenges as all streaming services: high content costs, intense competition, and subscriber growth slowdown. Expect continued optimization, particularly in content production and marketing roles.

Amazon Pharmacy and Healthcare: Despite significant investment, Amazon's healthcare initiatives haven't achieved expected traction. These divisions remain vulnerable to further cuts if growth doesn't accelerate.

Advertising: While Amazon's advertising business is growing, it's also increasingly automated. The human workforce required to manage campaigns and relationships is shrinking as AI tools handle more functions.

Moderate-Risk Divisions

AWS (Amazon Web Services): As Amazon's profit engine, AWS receives relative protection, but isn't immune. Sales roles face pressure as enterprise customers increasingly self-serve, and engineering teams are expected to achieve more with AI-augmented development tools.

Retail and Operations: Warehouse and fulfillment workers face ongoing automation pressure from robotics, but the physical nature of their work provides some protection. Corporate retail roles (merchandising, vendor management, category management) are more vulnerable.

Lower-Risk Divisions

AI and Machine Learning: Teams building Amazon's AI capabilities are expanding, not contracting. If you're working on generative AI, large language models, or AI infrastructure, your position is relatively secure.

Security and Compliance: Regulatory requirements and security threats continue growing, making these functions harder to cut despite AI tools.

What Amazon Employees Should Expect Next

Based on Amazon's historical patterns, industry trends, and executive statements, here's what current Amazon employees should anticipate:

More Layoffs Are Coming

The October 2025 cuts are not the end. Amazon's trajectory suggests continued workforce optimization through at least 2026:

• Q1 2026: Likely additional "targeted" reductions in underperforming divisions
• Throughout 2026: Ongoing "performance management" eliminations as AI tools prove capable of handling more functions
• 2027 and beyond: Permanent adoption of forever layoffs strategy with continuous small-scale reductions

Performance Reviews Will Be Brutal

Amazon's performance management system has always been rigorous, but expect it to become even more aggressive. The company will use "underperformance" as the primary justification for eliminations, making performance reviews existential rather than developmental.

If you receive a "Does Not Meet Expectations" rating or are placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), treat it as a terminal diagnosis. Amazon's PIP process has historically resulted in termination for 80%+ of participants.

Severance Will Be Minimal

Amazon's severance packages are notoriously modest compared to other tech giants:

• Typical severance: 1-2 weeks per year of service, capped at 8-12 weeks
• Healthcare continuation: Usually 3 months of COBRA coverage
• Equity acceleration: Generally none, unvested RSUs are forfeited
• Outplacement services: Basic resume review and job search support

This is significantly less generous than Google (16+ weeks plus 2 weeks per year of service), Meta (16 weeks plus 2 weeks per year), or Microsoft (varies but generally more generous).

Internal Mobility Won't Save You

Amazon employees often hope that transferring to a different team or division will provide security. Unfortunately, company-wide layoffs typically include transfer freezes, and even successful internal moves don't guarantee protection if your new division faces cuts.

That said, moving to AI-focused teams or high-growth areas (AWS AI services, advertising technology, security) does improve your odds, but isn't a guarantee.

What This Means for Job Seekers

If you're considering applying to Amazon or have an offer in hand, here's what you need to know:

Amazon Is Still Hiring, Selectively

Despite layoffs, Amazon continues hiring in strategic areas:

• AI and Machine Learning: Engineers, researchers, and product managers working on generative AI
• AWS Sales and Solutions Architecture: Customer-facing roles supporting enterprise cloud adoption
• Fulfillment and Logistics: Warehouse and delivery operations (though increasingly automated)
• Advertising Technology: Engineers and product managers building Amazon's ad platform

However, corporate functions (HR, finance, marketing, general program management) face hiring freezes or extremely selective hiring.

Evaluate Offers Carefully

If you receive an Amazon offer, consider:

• Division risk: Is the team in a growing or declining area?
• Compensation structure: Amazon's equity vesting schedule is back-loaded (5% year 1, 15% year 2, 40% years 3-4), meaning you forfeit most equity if laid off early
• Career trajectory: Will this role build transferable skills, or are you learning Amazon-specific processes that don't translate elsewhere?
• Work-life balance: Amazon's culture is notoriously demanding, is the compensation premium worth the intensity, especially given layoff risk?

Amazon on Your Resume Still Carries Weight

Despite the layoffs, Amazon experience remains valuable in the job market. The company's scale, technical challenges, and operational complexity provide learning opportunities few other employers can match. If you can survive 2-3 years at Amazon, the experience significantly boosts your marketability, assuming you're not burned out.

How Amazon's Layoffs Compare to Tech Peers

To contextualize Amazon's workforce reductions, here's how they compare to other major tech companies:

Meta: Cut approximately 21,000 positions (about 25% of workforce) in 2023, but has since stabilized with selective hiring resuming.

Google: Eliminated 12,000 positions (6% of workforce) in early 2023, followed by ongoing smaller cuts in 2024-2025.

Microsoft: Cut approximately 10,000 positions (5% of workforce) in 2023, with additional gaming division cuts following the Activision acquisition.

Salesforce: Reduced workforce by approximately 8,000 positions (10% of workforce) in 2023, with additional AI-driven cuts in customer support in 2025.

Amazon's 56,000-61,000 total cuts represent the largest absolute number but a smaller percentage (4%) due to the company's massive size. However, the impact on corporate and technology roles specifically is comparable to peers, the October 2025 cuts alone represent 4% of the corporate workforce, with cumulative reductions in these functions likely reaching 15-20%.

The Broader Context: Amazon and the Future of Work

Amazon's workforce transformation isn't just about one company, it's a preview of employment's future across all sectors:

AI Will Permanently Reduce Corporate Headcount

The explicit connection between AI investment and workforce reduction in both Jassy's June memo and Galetti's October announcement represents a watershed moment. Amazon is openly stating what other companies are thinking but not yet saying: AI tools will allow companies to operate with significantly smaller corporate workforces.

This isn't temporary cost-cutting, it's permanent structural change. As AI capabilities expand, the number of human workers required for corporate functions will continue declining.

The "Lean Corporate Structure" Is the New Normal

Amazon's emphasis on "removing layers" and "streamlining" reflects a broader shift away from the hierarchical corporate structures that dominated the 20th century. AI tools reduce the need for middle management, coordination roles, and information aggregation functions.

The corporate workforce of 2030 will be smaller, flatter, and more technically skilled than today, with AI handling much of what mid-level professionals currently do.

Employment Security Is Increasingly Rare

Amazon's adoption of continuous workforce optimization, cutting 14,000 here, eliminating underperformers there, conducting ongoing "performance management", exemplifies the forever layoffs strategy reshaping employment.

Workers can no longer expect stability even at highly profitable companies. The question isn't whether your employer will conduct layoffs, it's when, and whether you'll be included.

Advice for Current Amazon Employees

If you're currently working at Amazon, here's how to navigate this environment:

1. Assume You're Vulnerable

Don't assume tenure, performance, or division protects you. Even high performers in "safe" divisions can be eliminated if AI tools make their roles redundant. Operate with the assumption that you could be laid off at any time.

2. Build External Optionality

Maintain active relationships with recruiters, keep your LinkedIn profile updated, and regularly interview at other companies, even if you're not actively job hunting. You want options ready if/when layoffs hit.

3. Accelerate Equity Vesting

Amazon's back-loaded vesting schedule means you forfeit most equity if laid off before year 3. If you're approaching a vesting cliff, consider whether staying for the equity is worth the layoff risk. Sometimes taking a new role with front-loaded compensation is smarter than gambling on staying employed long enough to vest.

4. Document Your Achievements

Keep detailed records of your accomplishments, projects, and impact. If you're laid off, you'll need these for interviews. If you're performance-managed, documentation can help challenge unjust ratings (though success is rare).

5. Build Transferable Skills

Focus on developing capabilities that translate beyond Amazon: AI tool proficiency, data analysis, cloud architecture (AWS certifications), project management, stakeholder communication. Amazon-specific knowledge (internal tools, processes, jargon) has limited external value.

6. Maintain Financial Resilience

Given minimal severance and ongoing layoff risk, maintain 12+ months of emergency savings if possible. This provides crucial runway for job searches and reduces pressure to accept suboptimal offers.

The Bottom Line

Amazon's 14,000 corporate layoffs announced on October 28, 2025, represent the latest chapter in a multi-year workforce transformation that has eliminated 56,000-61,000 positions since 2023. This isn't a temporary response to economic uncertainty, it's a permanent strategic shift driven by AI capabilities, margin pressure, and a fundamental reconception of how much human labor corporate operations require.

For Amazon employees, the message is clear: job security is provisional, performance expectations are intensifying, and AI will continue reducing headcount needs. The company that once prided itself on aggressive growth and "Day 1" mentality is now focused on efficiency, optimization, and doing more with less.

For job seekers, Amazon remains a valuable resume credential and offers learning opportunities few companies can match, but the risk-reward calculation has shifted. Carefully evaluate division stability, compensation structure, and career trajectory before accepting offers.

For the broader workforce, Amazon's trajectory is a preview of what's coming across all sectors. The combination of AI capabilities and margin pressure will drive continued workforce optimization, making employment security increasingly rare and career management increasingly complex.

The numbers tell the story: 14,000 positions eliminated in October 2025, 56,000-61,000 total since 2023, and more cuts coming. At theNumbers.io, we'll continue tracking Amazon's workforce changes and providing the analysis you need to navigate this evolving landscape.

For Amazon employees and anyone watching the future of work unfold, one thing is certain: the company that revolutionized e-commerce and cloud computing is now pioneering a new model of corporate employment, one where AI augmentation and continuous optimization replace the traditional employment contract. Whether this model succeeds in creating sustainable competitive advantage or simply transfers wealth from workers to shareholders remains to be seen. But the transformation is underway, and its implications extend far beyond Amazon.