Amazon layoffs coming - these positions may be phased out, is your job on the list of roles being cut?

Time of India

3 hours ago

Amazon layoffs: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has officially confirmed what many insiders have been warning for months—Amazon will gradually reduce its corporate workforce over the next few years as it accelerates the rollout of AI across operations. In a June 18 internal memo first reported by
Business Insider
, Jassy stated that as generative AI tools reshape the way work gets done, the company expects to
need fewer employees
in traditional roles.
This move is not a temporary layoff spree—it's a long-term shift in how Amazon will operate. The focus, Jassy said, is on
efficiency through automation
, not cost-cutting alone.
Which Amazon jobs are most at risk from AI?
According to Jassy's memo several key corporate roles are expected to see the biggest impact:
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Customer service and software development
: Jassy explicitly named these as functions being reshaped by AI tools. With over
1,000 AI tools
already active inside Amazon—from
code-writing bots
to customer interaction agents—the demand for traditional developer and service roles will shrink.
Alexa division
: The voice assistant team is reportedly undergoing deep restructuring. AI is increasingly handling voice-based tasks more efficiently, and sources suggest this team is facing
major cuts
in 2025.
Middle management
: Around
14,000 manager-level roles
have already been eliminated this year, according to internal leaks. AI enables flatter structures and faster decision-making, reducing the need for layers of leadership.
Administrative roles
: Jobs in
HR, internal communications, compliance, and support
—especially those built on repetitive coordination or routine reporting—are seen as easily automatable.
How many people are losing their jobs due to AI in 2025?
Across the tech industry, AI-related restructuring is having a real human impact. According to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, around 20,000 layoffs in just the first five months of 2025 were attributed to 'technological updates' like AI automation.
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A Goldman Sachs report from last year predicted that 25% of all jobs across industries could be automated by AI in the near future. That projection is now playing out, especially in companies that were early to adopt AI tools internally.
Why is Amazon reducing its workforce now?
There's no single trigger—this is part of a
long-term AI strategy
. Jassy explained the shift is driven by operational transformation, not financial urgency. Here's what's fueling the changes:
AI has gone mainstream inside Amazon
: More than
1,000 internal AI deployments
are in use, ranging from
inventory forecasting
to
automated seller listing
tools.
Hiring freeze and restructuring
: Rather than sudden, sweeping layoffs, Amazon is quietly downsizing through attrition, non-refills, and internal shifts. However, some teams like Alexa, Kindle, and Prime Video have seen direct terminations.
Focus on efficiency, not just headcount
: Jassy emphasized that AI will free employees from 'rote work,' allowing Amazon to redirect talent into strategic, creative, and innovation roles.
Is your Amazon job safe, or could it be automated next?
Amazon employees—or anyone in corporate tech—should take note. These roles are considered
high-risk
as automation scales up:
Repetitive corporate functions (HR, internal comms, admin)
Middle-management overseeing standard processes
Basic customer service and support roles
Coding jobs focused on routine or boilerplate work
On the other hand, roles that require strategic thinking, creative innovation, product development, or AI system design are expected to stay—and even grow.
How can Amazon employees stay relevant in the AI era?
Jassy offered clear advice to workers hoping to avoid redundancy as AI reshapes the workforce:
Adopt AI tools now
: Employees are encouraged to work with internal tools like
Amazon Bedrock
,
Claude
, and
Sonnet
. The more fluent workers are with these systems, the more valuable they become.
Upskill or reskill
: Amazon is offering training and workshops. Employees should invest in learning
AI integration
,
data analysis
, or
workflow automation
to pivot into new opportunities.
Move where the growth is
: Teams building or managing AI infrastructure are hiring. If you can transition into these areas, you're more likely to thrive in Amazon's next chapter.
What's the big picture on Amazon's AI-driven workforce shift?
Amazon isn't alone in this transformation—Microsoft is also preparing thousands of layoffs, mainly in its sales division, to align with its massive $80 billion investment in AI data centers for 2025. Amazon is going even bigger, budgeting around $105 billion, with most of it going toward AI infrastructure for AWS.
The trend is clear: as
AI becomes central to operations
, corporate headcounts will shrink, and the nature of work will evolve. According to
Challenger, Gray & Christmas
, AI-related 'technological updates' already triggered
20,000 layoffs
in just the first five months of 2025. Meanwhile,
Goldman Sachs
estimates that generative AI could
automate nearly 25% of all jobs
across industries.