Amazon Confirms 14,000 Job Cuts Globally, Around 1,000 in India to be Affected

E-commerce giant Amazon has confirmed reports of large-scale layoffs across its corporate workforce, though the impact is expected to be less severe than initially reported by US outlets. On Tuesday, the Big Tech firm said it will reduce its global corporate headcount by about 14,000.

In India, where Amazon employs around 120,000 people, reports suggest that 800 to 1,000 employees could be affected. However, the company has not officially disclosed region-wise figures.

According to The Economic Times, the cuts will impact corporate roles across finance, marketing, HR, and technology divisions.

Earlier, Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at the Seattle-based company, announced “organisational changes across Amazon” in a public letter to employees.

She cited CEO Andy Jassy’s goal of turning Amazon into the “world’s largest startup” as the rationale behind the restructuring.

“We’re working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted, including offering most employees 90 days to look for a new role internally (the timing will vary based on local laws). Our recruiting teams will prioritise internal candidates to help as many people as possible find new positions within Amazon,” she said. Those unable to secure another role will receive severance pay, outplacement services, and continued health insurance benefits.

Galetti also indicated that Amazon plans to continue removing additional layers of management in 2026 as part of Jassy’s broader effort to “reduce layers,” curb bureaucracy, and channel resources into its most promising growth areas.

“Looking ahead to 2026, as Andy mentioned earlier this year, we expect to continue hiring in key strategic areas while also finding more places where we can remove layers, increase ownership, and realise efficiency gains,” she wrote.

Why Amazon Is Cutting Jobs

Several US media outlets had earlier reported that Amazon Web Services (AWS) owner Amazon planned to cut around 10% of its 350,000-strong corporate workforce — roughly 30,000 jobs. While the confirmed figure of 14,000 is lower, it still represents one of the company’s biggest rounds of layoffs since 2022, when it let go of around 22,000 employees following pandemic-era overhiring.

This time, the company has clarified that the decision is not driven by business performance. In Q2 FY2025, Amazon reported net sales of $167.7 billion (up 13% year-on-year), with AWS revenue rising 17.5% to $30.9 billion. Operating income increased to $19.2 billion (from $14.7 billion a year ago), and net income stood at $18.2 billion. Amazon is scheduled to announce its Q3 earnings on October 30, 2025.

In India, Amazon’s various entities reported steady growth and a sharp reduction in losses in FY25. Amazon Seller Services, its largest unit, recorded revenue of ₹30,139 crore, up 19% year-on-year, with a net loss of ₹374.3 crore. Amazon Pay posted revenue of ₹2,096 crore but incurred a loss of ₹865 crore. Amazon Transportation Services saw its revenue rise 8% to ₹5,284 crore, with a loss of ₹33.9 crore. Meanwhile, Amazon Wholesale India reported a 16% decline in revenue to ₹2,993.9 crore and a loss of ₹220.7 crore, while Amazon Retail India’s revenue grew 18% to ₹2,050.8 crore, with a loss of ₹394.2 crore.

Combined losses across these entities declined to ₹1,889 crore, down from ₹3,811 crore in FY24, signalling improved operating leverage.

Galetti also reiterated that the layoffs were not due to poor performance, saying: “The company is performing well — delivering great customer experiences every day, innovating rapidly, and producing strong business results.”

She added: “The world is changing quickly. This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet, enabling companies to innovate faster than ever before. We’re convinced that we need to be organised more leanly, with fewer layers and greater ownership, to move as quickly as possible for our customers and business.”