THE Great Recalibration reports that Amazon has announced a further 16,000 corporate roles will be cut, part of a broader retrenchment that also included 14,000 losses in October 2025, bringing the total reductions to 30,000 and marking the largest workforce contraction in the company’s history. It notes that, despite the cuts, Amazon is actively recruiting in areas focused on artificial intelligence, with the company aiming to become an AI-first infrastructure power.
The article states that affected employees will have a 90-day transition period during which they can seek internal opportunities, and those who depart or cannot find a role will receive severance, continued healthcare, and career transition services. Beth Galetti, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, is quoted explaining that mass reductions are not planned every few months but that teams will continue to evaluate ownership, speed and capacity to invent for customers.
According to aboutamazon[.]com, the restructuring also involves flattening the hierarchy to foster a culture likened to “the world’s largest startup.” The piece frames AI as a transformative technology driving the changes and suggests further workforce refinements could follow as the company advances its AI-first strategy.