Amazon to Cut 16,000 More Positions as It Boosts AI Spending

(MENAFN) US online retail powerhouse Amazon revealed on Wednesday that it intends to eliminate an additional 16,000 jobs as part of an effort to cut bureaucracy and redirect resources toward large-scale investments in artificial intelligence.

"The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we're again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted," Amazon said in a statement.

Back in October, the tech-driven retailer had already dismissed 14,000 employees from its corporate workforce, continuing a broader restructuring push.

"While we’re making these changes, we’ll also continue hiring and investing in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future. We’re still in the early stages of building every one of our businesses and there’s significant opportunity ahead," Amazon said.

“Just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate,” said Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology. “That’s never been more important than it is today in a world that’s changing faster than ever.”

As of the third quarter of 2025, Amazon employed around 1.578 million people worldwide. Most of these staff members work hourly roles in fulfillment centers and are not expected to be directly affected by the latest round of job cuts.

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