Amazon to retrench 16,000 workers globally

Amazon will be laying off 16,000 employees globally.

In an update to employees and shared on its website on Jan. 28, senior vice president of People Experience and Technology at Amazon Beth Galetti said the move is part of efforts to "strengthen" the company by "reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy".

Despite the retrenchment, the American technology and e-commerce company is expected to continue hiring workers to fill "strategic" and "critical" roles.

"Additional organisational changes"

In the update, Galetti said the tech giant is "making additional organisational changes" that will "impact" some of its teammates.

She added: "I recognise this is difficult news, which is why I'm sharing what's happening and why."

Since October 2025, Galetti said Amazon has been "strengthening" the organisation by "reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy".

However, not all teams completed the process, leading to the latest round of layoffs.

To provide support for those affected

While Galetti did not specify how many employees in Singapore or Asia would be affected, she said the retrenchment will affect around 16,000 roles across Amazon.

She noted that the company is "working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted".

For affected employees based in United States, the company will give them 90 days to look for alternative positions internally.

Timelines for staff outside the country will vary depending on local and country-level requirements.

"Then, for teammates who are unable to find a new role at Amazon or who choose not to look for one, we'll provide transition support including severance pay, outplacement services, health insurance benefits (as applicable), and more," Galetti said.

Hiring continues

Despite the job cuts, Galetti confirmed that Amazon will continue to hire and invest in strategic areas critical to its long-term growth.

"We're still in the early stages of building every one of our businesses and there's significant opportunity ahead. Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm – where we announce broad reductions every few months. That's not our plan," she highlighted.

However, teams will review their structure as business conditions evolve.

Galetti added: "Every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate. That's never been more important than it is today in a world that's changing faster than ever."

The senior vice president also thanked Amazon employees for their efforts, and said: "I'm grateful for how our teams continue to deliver – for customers, for each other, and for the incredible things we're building together."

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