Amazon axes 14,000 desk jobs in AI-powered slimming plan

Summary

Amazon has announced the elimination of around 14,000 corporate roles as part of a drive to become “organised more leanly” and accelerate AI-led automation across its business. The cuts — affecting HR, devices, communications and some AWS support functions — represent roughly 5% of Amazon’s white-collar workforce of over 350,000. The company says it will offer internal redeployment windows, severance and support to affected staff. Leadership frames the move as an efficiency and speed play driven by AI rather than a sign of financial distress, coming alongside continued massive capital investment in datacentre and AI infrastructure.

Key Points

Amazon is cutting about 14,000 corporate (desk) jobs, citing AI-driven operational changes.
The reductions span global corporate teams including HR, devices, communications and some AWS support roles.
Amazon offers most impacted employees 90 days to find internal roles, plus severance, outplacement and health cover.
The layoffs equal roughly 5% of Amazon’s corporate workforce and follow previous large-scale cuts in 2023.
The move coincides with continued massive capital expenditure on datacentres and AI infrastructure, highlighting a shift to invest in automation while trimming administrative headcount.

Context and relevance

This action illustrates a broader tech-industry pattern: heavy investment in AI compute and infrastructure while reducing administrative and corporate headcount as AI automates routine tasks. For HR, tech and business leaders, the story signals accelerating operational change, potential internal re-skilling needs, and pressure on entry-level and administrative roles. It also raises questions about resilience and risk management as organisations rely more on automated systems.

Why should I read this?

Because it shows the future someone else is already building — bots are eating desk jobs and that affects hiring, roles and budgets. If you hire, manage people, or build tools for corporate teams, this is the shorthand version of what to expect next.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/10/28/amazon_14000_jobs_cut/