Amazon is preparing to cut as many as 14,000 corporate positions, a move that would rank among the largest white-collar layoffs in recent history.

Bloomberg quoted Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, who said that the move is in line to reduce bureaucracy and shift resources towards the biggest bets.

The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs.

Amazon layoffs: What’s happening

Multiple reports indicate that the reductions would affect roughly four to five percent of Amazon’s corporate workforce and would impact units such as human resources, devices and services, operations, and parts of Amazon Web Services.

Managers were briefed ahead of time, and notices are expected to be delivered in stages, with many employees receiving email alerts and formal separation paperwork this week.

The layoffs came as Amazon is all set to announce its Q3 earnings on Thursday.

If confirmed, this would be the largest corporate reduction at Amazon since late 2022, when the company cut about 27,000 roles, a pattern that highlights rapid pandemic hiring followed by periodic retrenchment.

Why it matters

The move blends near-term cost cutting with a strategic push to reallocate capital toward cloud and artificial intelligence initiatives.

Company leaders argue that automation and new AI tools can substitute for some corporate tasks and improve efficiency, while critics warn that repeated rounds of layoffs risk eroding morale and slowing product roadmaps.

Investors are weighing the tradeoff between immediate savings and long-term capacity; early market reaction leaned toward modest optimism as analysts modeled potential margin improvements.

This fits a broader industry trend of pairing workforce reductions with heavier AI investment.

For affected employees, the immediate priorities are severance terms, rehire eligibility, and the logistics of transition.

Large employers often use centralized HR portals and staggered notices to process departures efficiently, which speeds paperwork but amplifies uncertainty for staff.

Career advisers recommend updating resumes, activating professional networks, and pursuing short-term contract or seasonal roles while searching for full-time work.

Amazon is also expected to hire seasonal warehouse staff for the holidays, and employee resource groups and external recruiters are expected to be busy in the immediate weeks ahead.

What to watch next

More details are expected in Amazon’s upcoming earnings call and regulatory filings, where management may disclose restructuring charges and projected annualized savings.

The investors will also keep an eye on executive comments, market reaction after filings, and whether other major tech firms mirror similar workforce adjustments or accelerate targeted hiring in AI roles.

Policymakers and labor advocates will likely scrutinize these rounds for signals about retraining needs as automation reshapes office work.

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