Amazon layoffs 250 employees in early morning mail, cites 'more efficient operation'
PTC News Desk: Amazon has laid off around 250 employees from its devices unit, which develops products such as Kindle e-readers and Echo smart speakers. The job cuts mainly affect software development roles.
According to a Reuters report, affected employees were informed about the layoffs through early morning emails and text messages. One of the emails was sent by Amazon Vice President Cherie Robinson, who said the company had carefully reviewed its organisational structure and decided to cut some jobs.
Amazon confirmed the layoffs in a statement, saying it had made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of positions. Although the company did not disclose the exact number of employees affected, the Reuters report put the figure at around 250.
Why is Amazon cutting jobs
An Amazon spokesperson said the decision was aimed at helping the company work more efficiently and better align its workforce with its product plans.
A day before the layoffs, Amazon released a September memo from its engineering leadership discussing how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing software development. The memo urged developers to learn and adapt to the technology, warning that those who fail to do so could fall behind. It also highlighted AI’s growing role in software engineering.
The layoffs came on the same day Amazon announced five new Alexa-powered devices. These include a redesigned Echo Show 16 smart display, an Alexa Photo Frame and an Echo Time bedside clock. All these products were developed by the company’s devices unit.
Amazon announced several job cuts these year
The latest layoffs follow Amazon’s decision earlier this month to cut around 1,000 jobs in its main retail division.
In January, the company announced plans to eliminate 16,000 positions, following another round of 14,000 job cuts in October last year.
At the same time, Amazon is investing heavily in artificial intelligence. The company is expected to spend as much as $220 billion on AI this year.
Tech Industry faces more job cuts
Amazon is not the only technology company reducing its workforce. According to Layoffs.fyi, more than 135,000 technology jobs have been eliminated so far this year.
Dropbox recently announced plans to cut 9% of its global workforce. Meanwhile, Microsoft has offered voluntary exit packages to around 60,000 employees, representing approximately one-quarter of its total workforce.
These developments highlight the ongoing changes across the technology sector as companies restructure their operations and increase their investments in AI.
- PTC NEWS
