This week, Amazon plans to lay off 10,000 employees, making it the largest job reduction in the company's history.

Shannon Longworth Anchor/Reporter

NYT: Amazon to lay off 10,000 employees starting this week

Nov 14, 2022

Shannon Longworth Anchor/Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Anchor/Reporter), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer), Ben Burke (Producer)

According to a New York Times report, Amazon plans to lay off 10,000 employees, or about 3% of its corporate staff. These layoffs would mark the largest job reduction in the company’s history and could start as soon as this week.

People spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. They told the paper that the cuts will focus on Amazon’s devices organization, including the voice assistant Alexa. The unit that houses Alexa had posted an operating loss of more than $5 billion per year.

Cuts will also be seen in the company’s retail division, as well as within human resources.

Amazon is the latest tech company to lay off workers.

Last week, Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner, cut the company’s staff in half. And Meta, the parent of Facebook, said it was laying off more than 11,000 people, or 13% of its workforce.

Twitter and Meta executives blamed overzealous expansion.

Tags: amazon, Amazon Alexa, Jobs, Layoffs

SHANNON LONGWORTH: ACCORDING TO A NEW YORK TIMES REPORT, AMAZON PLANS TO LAY OFF 10,000 EMPLOYEES WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT 3% OF ITS CORPORATE STAFF. THESE LAYOFFS WOULD MAKE IT THE LARGEST JOB REDUCTION IN THE COMPANY’S HISTORY. THOSE LAYOFFS COULD START AS SOON AS THIS WEEK.

PEOPLE SPOKE TO THE TIMES ON CONDITION OF ANONYMITY BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK PUBLICLY. THEY TOLD THE PAPER THAT THE CUTS WILL FOCUS ON AMAZON’S DEVICES ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING THE VOICE ASSISTANT ALEXA. THE UNIT THAT HOUSES ALEXA HAD POSTED AN OPERATING LOSS OF MORE THAN $5 BILLION A YEAR.

CUTS WILL ALSO BE SEEN IN THE COMPANY’S RETAIL DIVISION, AS WELL AS WITHIN HUMAN RESOURCES.

AMAZON IS THE LATEST TECH COMPANY TO LAY OFF WORKERS.

LAST WEEK, ELON MUSK, TWITTER’S NEW OWNER, CUT THE COMPANY STAFFING IN HALF. AND META, THE PARENT OF FACEBOOK, SAID IT WAS LAYING OFF MORE THAN 11-THOUSAND PEOPLE, OR 13% OF ITS WORKFORCE.

BOTH SAYING OVERZEALOUS EXPANSION WAS TO BLAME.