United States – Amazon has announced it will eliminate approximately 16,000 roles across its corporate workforce as part of ongoing organizational restructuring, according to an internal update from a senior executive.
The announcement follows an earlier internal communication error in which a draft email referencing the layoffs was sent prematurely to some Amazon Web Services (AWS) employees, causing confusion ahead of the formal announcement.
The mistakenly sent message, signed by an AWS senior vice president and referring to the plan as “Project Dawn,” was quickly canceled but had already alerted staff to the impending job cuts before company leadership publicly confirmed them.
In the internal update shared with employees, Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, described the changes and their rationale.
“I want to let you know that we’re making additional organizational changes across Amazon that will impact some of our teammates,” Galetti wrote. “I recognize this is difficult news, which is why I’m sharing what’s happening and why.”
Galetti said the restructuring reflects efforts first outlined in October to simplify Amazon’s organisational structure and reduce internal complexity.
“As I shared in October, we’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” she wrote. While many teams completed changes last year, Galetti noted that other groups finalized their work only recently.
“The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we’re again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted,” she said. Under the plan, most US‑based employees affected by the cuts will have 90 days to seek a new role within the company, while additional transition support, including severance pay and other benefits, will be offered to those who do not secure new roles internally.
“That starts with offering most US‑based employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (timing will vary internationally based on local and country level requirements). Then, for teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we’ll provide transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits (as applicable), and more.”
Despite the reductions, Galetti said Amazon plans to continue hiring in areas it sees as critical to its future.
“While we’re making these changes, we’ll also continue hiring and investing in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future. We’re still in the early stages of building every one of our businesses and there’s significant opportunity ahead.”
Addressing whether such layoffs will occur regularly, Galetti said the company does not plan frequent broad cuts.
“Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm – where we announce broad reductions every few months. That’s not our plan. But just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate.”
Galetti also acknowledged the ongoing contributions of staff.
“I’m grateful for how our teams continue to deliver – for customers, for each other, and for the incredible things we’re building together.”
The latest cuts follow a series of workforce reductions at Amazon over recent years as the company rebalances after rapid pandemic‑era hiring. In October 2025, Amazon cut about 14,000 corporate positions, a move described at the time as part of efforts to streamline operations and focus on strategic priorities including artificial intelligence.
Since late 2022, Amazon has eliminated tens of thousands of jobs across multiple rounds of layoffs, with significant reductions in corporate, technology and retail support roles as it adjusts to changing demand and increases automation.
