Amazon is laying off more employees, calling them “unnecessary layers,” and … – The Times of India

Amazon is laying off employees from its communications and sustainability divisions as part of an organizational restructuring, the company confirmed Wednesday. The exact number of affected positions was not disclosed, but was described as “small” in an internal memo obtained by CNBC.
Drew Herdener, who oversees public relations and corporate responsibility at Amazon, announced the cuts in a note to staff, citing the need to eliminate roles that were “too narrowly scoped” or created “unnecessary layers” within the organization.
Affected employees will receive financial support, continued benefits, and job-placement assistance, according to the internal memo. Some may be rehired for lower-level positions, while other roles will be redistributed within the organization.
The restructuring also includes changes to Amazon’s “hub strategy,” aiming to have more team members working in the same physical location as their colleagues and managers. This follows the company’s recent mandate requiring corporate staff to work from the office five days per week.
The layoffs come as Amazon works to streamline operations after significant growth during the Covid-19 pandemic, when its global workforce more than doubled to over 1.6 million employees by late 2021.
This round of cuts follows Amazon’s significant workforce reduction of more than 27,000 employees during 2022 and 2023. The tech giant has continued smaller layoffs into 2024 as part of CEO Andy Jassy‘s broader cost-cutting initiatives.
The company has also been scaling back experimental initiatives, including its “Try Before You Buy” clothing service and speedy brick-and-mortar delivery program.
Despite the cuts, Amazon maintains its commitment to sustainability goals, including its pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and power all business operations with renewable energy by 2025.