Amazon set to announce mass layoffs next week, around 16000 jobs on the line

By Admin

23 Jan, 2026

We are still in the first month of 2026, yet the global layoffs counter is already climbing at an alarming pace. Adding to this trend, Amazon is expected to announce another major round of job cuts next week, with around 16,000 roles reportedly at risk. If confirmed, this would mark one of the largest workforce reductions in the company’s history and push total job losses close to 30,000 in just a few months.

Background of the planned job cuts
In October, a report by Reuters revealed that Amazon was preparing to slash nearly 30,000 jobs in multiple phases. At the time, it was reported that roughly 14,000 positions would be eliminated in the first round, which has largely already taken place. The upcoming phase, expected to begin around January 27, is said to involve the remaining 16,000 roles.

If these reports are accurate, the total number of employees impacted since late 2025 would bring Amazon’s recent job cuts close to 30,000. This would be in addition to the 27,000 positions the company eliminated back in 2023, highlighting a continued effort to reshape its workforce.

January 27 likely date for announcement
According to posts by Amazon employees on Blind, an anonymous workplace discussion platform, internal signals about layoffs have already started circulating. Several employees, including those working in AWS and corporate teams, claim that managers and senior leaders have hinted at an official announcement around January 27, 2026.

Some employees also allege that those placed on performance improvement plans, or PIPs, may be informed a few days earlier than the broader workforce, following a pattern seen in previous layoffs.

WARN notices and early signals
A January 9 report by Newsweek stated that around 1,000 to 2,000 Amazon employees had already received WARN notices ahead of potential layoffs scheduled for January 26. Under US law, companies conducting mass layoffs are required to issue Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notices, typically providing at least 60 days’ advance notice.

However, industry watchers believe the actual scope of the layoffs could be much larger. There is strong speculation that teams across multiple geographies, including India, may also be affected.

Teams most likely to be impacted
Unlike Amazon’s pandemic-era layoffs that focused heavily on retail and warehouse operations, the upcoming cuts are expected to target high-salary corporate roles.

One of the most affected units is expected to be the People Experience and Technology division, Amazon’s internal HR organisation. As the company increasingly relies on automation and AI-driven systems for hiring, performance tracking, and internal operations, large administrative teams are reportedly being scaled down.

Another major area under pressure is Amazon Web Services. Although AWS continues to grow, its pace has slowed compared to key competitors. Reports suggest that Amazon is trimming legacy support, program management, and administrative roles within AWS, while redirecting investment toward generative AI initiatives and massive data centre expansions.

Role of AI and automation in layoffs
While Amazon has not explicitly linked the new layoffs to artificial intelligence, the connection appears difficult to ignore. CEO Andy Jassy has repeatedly spoken about reducing what he calls managerial bloat and flattening the organisation’s structure.

Over the past year, Amazon employees have seen team consolidations, role eliminations, and rising expectations to deliver more output with fewer people. Jassy has also emphasised faster decision-making, fewer management layers, and broader use of automation across the company.

As AI tools increasingly take over tasks related to hiring, monitoring performance, and internal coordination, the need for large corporate support teams is shrinking, contributing directly to these workforce reductions.

What lies ahead
If the reported January 27 announcement goes ahead, Amazon’s latest round of layoffs will further underline a broader shift underway in the global tech industry. Companies are aggressively cutting costs, embracing automation, and refocusing spending on AI and infrastructure, often at the expense of traditional corporate roles.

For employees, investors, and the wider tech ecosystem, Amazon’s next move will be closely watched as a signal of how deep and long-lasting the current wave of tech layoffs may become.