Amazon has announced it will cut 16,000 jobs globally as part of a restructuring effort, just months after slashing 14,000 roles. The company, which employs around 1.5 million people worldwide, said the cuts aim to reduce layers and remove bureaucracy.
Most job losses are expected in the US, but a few hundred roles in UK corporate offices in London and Manchester may also be affected. Warehouse staff are not impacted. Affected US employees will have 90 days to find new roles internally, with timing varying in other countries.
The announcement followed an erroneous message sent to Amazon Web Services (AWS) staff, which mistakenly stated that employees in the US, Canada, and Costa Rica had already been informed of job losses. The email, signed by senior vice-president Colleen Aubrey, referred to the layoffs as 'Project Dawn'.
Senior vice-president Beth Galetti said in a blogpost that the changes are not the start of regular layoffs, but rather a one-time restructuring. Amazon continues to hire in strategic areas. The news comes as UPS also announced up to 30,000 job cuts this year, focusing on higher-margin shipments.
