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Amazon confirms 16,000 layoffs following internal email error
The tech giant announced global redundancies on Wednesday, hours after an internal message about job cuts was mistakenly sent to employees. The reductions aim to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy.
Accidental disclosure precedes official announcement
An email intended for internal distribution was inadvertently shared with staff late Tuesday. The message, reviewed by the BBC, referenced layoffs affecting employees in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica as part of a broader effort to "strengthen the company."
The communication was quickly retracted, but Amazon formally confirmed the job cuts early Wednesday. The company did not specify which regions or departments would be impacted.
Leadership addresses recent restructuring
Beth Galetti, Amazon's senior vice president of people experience and technology, stated Wednesday that the latest reductions were not part of a recurring pattern. She noted that while some teams completed organizational changes in October-when 14,000 corporate roles were eliminated-others finalized their adjustments only this month.
Amazon employs approximately 1.5 million people worldwide, with roughly 350,000 in corporate positions.
Internal email reveals details of "Project Dawn"
A draft message from Colleen Aubrey, a senior vice president at Amazon Web Services (AWS), was included in a calendar invitation sent to employees under the subject line "Send Project Dawn email." The term appears to reference the company's internal codename for the layoffs.
"This is a continuation of the work we've been doing for over a year to strengthen the company by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy so we can move faster for customers."
Draft email from Amazon Web Services
The email acknowledged the difficulty of such decisions but framed them as necessary for long-term success.
Employee expectations and severance terms
A former Amazon employee, who requested anonymity, told the BBC that staff had anticipated further cuts for weeks. The source estimated that leadership aimed to eliminate around 30,000 roles in total, with additional reductions expected through May.
Laid-off workers were invited to apply for other open positions at Amazon, though opportunities were limited. Those unable to transition to new roles received severance packages based on their tenure.
Broader cost-cutting measures under CEO Andy Jassy
Since succeeding founder Jeff Bezos as CEO four years ago, Andy Jassy has overseen multiple rounds of job cuts. His leadership has also introduced stricter workplace policies, including a mandatory five-day in-office workweek-making Amazon one of the few major tech firms to enforce full-time office attendance.
Cost-reduction efforts extend beyond staffing. Reports indicate Amazon has begun monitoring corporate mobile phone usage among AWS employees to limit a long-standing $50 monthly reimbursement.
In a pre-Thanksgiving email to staff, Jassy described the current period as "a time to rethink everything we've ever done," citing rapid global changes as a catalyst for transformation.
Additional business adjustments
On Tuesday, Amazon announced the closure of its remaining 70 Amazon-branded grocery stores, including Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations, while expanding its Whole Foods Market operations.
