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Amazon is preparing a fresh round of corporate job cuts that could begin as soon as Tuesday, January 27, according to people familiar with the planning, extending a restructuring campaign that already removed about 14,000 white-collar roles in October 2025.
A Second Wave of Amazon Layoffs Aimed at a 30,000 Corporate Reduction
Reuters reported Amazon’s broader target is to trim about 30,000 corporate workers, with the upcoming cuts expected to be roughly similar in scale to last year’s round. Amazon declined to comment to Reuters, and sources cautioned that details could change.
The job reductions described by Reuters are expected to touch multiple major units, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), retail, Prime Video, and Amazon’s HR organization, People Experience and Technology (PXT).
Why the Timing Matters Inside Amazon
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Employees affected in October were told they would remain on payroll for 90 days while applying for internal roles or seeking other work, a window that Reuters said expires Monday (January 26, 2026). That deadline lands right before the next reported wave.
Reuters also framed the scale in context: even 30,000 corporate reductions would represent a small slice of Amazon’s roughly 1.58 million total employees, but close to 10% of its corporate workforce.
India: “Bracing for Impact,” Driven by Employee Chatter and Local Reporting
While Reuters focused on global corporate planning and named business units, India-focused coverage has emphasized potential fallout in Amazon’s India offices.
India Today reported that India-based teams could be hit harder in the coming round, citing employee discussion on platforms like Blind and Reddit and pointing to exposure in AWS and Prime Video, plus corporate hubs including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
The Hans India piece makes similar claims about a 16,000-role figure, a January 27 start, and disproportionate risk for India teams, also pointing to AWS, Prime Video, retail operations, and PXT. It notes the lack of official confirmation and attributes some detail to internal posts and forums.
What remains clear across outlets: the most precise numbers being circulated publicly (including the often-cited 16,000) are not coming from an Amazon announcement, and should be treated as estimates tied to sourcing and internal chatter rather than a confirmed headcount.
Amazon’s Stated Rationale: “Culture” and Bureaucracy, With AI in the Background
Amazon has offered shifting emphasis around what is driving the corporate reset. Reuters reported that Amazon linked the October cuts to the rise of AI in an internal letter, but CEO Andy Jassy later told analysts the reduction was “not really financially driven” and “not even really AI-driven,” arguing it was about company culture and excessive bureaucracy and layers.
Even with that framing, Reuters noted the broader industry reality Amazon operates in: AI is increasingly used to automate routine tasks and coding work, and Amazon has continued to promote new AI systems and capabilities across its business lines.
