American tech and e-commerce giant Amazon is reportedly planning to implement significant corporate job cuts next week, targeting thousands of roles as part of a broader effort to reduce its workforce by 30,000 employees.

According to a Reuters report published on January 22, citing two sources familiar with the matter, the upcoming layoffs would rank among the largest in the company’s history and are expected to affect white-collar positions across multiple divisions.

Sources indicated that teams within Amazon Web Services (AWS), the People Experience and Technology unit (human resources), Prime Video, and retail operations are likely to be impacted, although they cautioned that final decisions could still change before announcements are made.

Workforce Reduction Builds on Earlier Cuts

Amazon has already eliminated approximately 14,000 corporate roles since October last year, accounting for nearly half of its stated 30,000-job reduction target. The company is now expected to continue this downsizing effort into2026.

As of September 2025, Amazon employed roughly 1.57 million people worldwide, the vast majority of whom work in its warehouse and logistics operations.

Its corporate workforce numbered about 350,000 employees. If completed, the planned cuts would amount to nearly 10% of Amazon’s white-collar staff, making this the company’s largest layoff initiative in three decades, surpassing the 27,000 jobs cut in 2022.

AI, Restructuring, and Employee Transition Periods

Employees affected by the October layoffs were placed on a 90-day paid transition period, allowing them to seek new roles internally or externally. That period is scheduled to expire on January 26, 2026.

The Reuters report also noted speculation around the role of artificial intelligence in Amazon’s workforce changes. Earlier job reductions were reportedly linked to increased adoption of AI tools, with an internal memo describing AI as “the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet.”

However, CEO Andy Jassy later downplayed this narrative during Amazon’s Q3 earnings call, stating that the cuts were not primarily driven by AI adoption or financial pressures, but rather by broader organizational restructuring efforts.