Amazon Layoffs 2026: Reports Say a New Wave of Corporate Job Cuts Could Begin This Week

Reports published in late January 2026 suggest Amazon is preparing another significant round of corporate layoffs, potentially starting this week. The planned reductions, which are not yet publicly confirmed by the company in those reports, are described as part of a broader effort to shrink Amazon’s white-collar workforce by roughly 30,000 roles by mid-2026.

If implemented at the scale being reported, this would mark one of the biggest office-job reductions in the company’s history—substantial inside Amazon’s corporate ranks even as the company’s overall headcount remains heavily weighted toward fulfillment, logistics, and hourly operations.

What’s Being Reported About the Size and Timing

The new round of job cuts is being described as a second wave following a major corporate reduction in October 2025. That earlier move eliminated about 14,000 office roles, according to reports. The current wave is expected to be of a similar magnitude, with figures circulating around the mid–five digits—often cited as roughly 14,000 to 16,000 roles.

Timing is a key point of uncertainty. Some reports indicate the next set of reductions could begin as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 (ET), while others frame it as “next week” depending on how internal decisions are finalized. In multiple accounts, the language is cautious: plans may change, and the final scope could shift by team and region.

Which Parts of Amazon Could Be Affected

The layoffs being discussed are focused on corporate and technology positions rather than warehouse operations. The divisions most frequently cited in reports include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Retail operations

• Prime Video

• Human resources (including the group often tied to employee experience and internal systems)

While Amazon’s corporate structure spans many functions—product, engineering, program management, recruiting, finance, legal, and more—reports point to a broad, cross-organization approach rather than a single department being singled out.

Because Amazon’s office workforce is global, the impact could extend beyond the United States, although the location-by-location picture is not fully clear in publicly available reporting as of Jan. 27, 2026 (ET).

Why Amazon Is Cutting Roles Again

The reported rationale combines two themes that have been increasingly common across large tech and consumer companies:

Flattening the organization and removing layers. Reports describe leadership pushing to reduce bureaucracy and streamline decision-making. The underlying idea: fewer managerial tiers and fewer overlapping internal processes.

Efficiency gains tied to automation and AI. Reports also link the cuts to productivity changes—especially in roles involving routine work that software can increasingly assist or automate. Even so, this does not mean every eliminated job is being “replaced by AI.” Instead, the reporting frames it as a mix of cost discipline, reorganizations, and operational tightening.

Because the accounts are largely attributed to people familiar with internal planning, it remains important to treat details as developing until the company provides an on-the-record update.

How This Compares to the October 2025 Cuts

In the prior round, reports indicated some affected employees remained on payroll for a period after receiving notice. That timeline matters now because the reported continuation period for the October group was said to end Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 (ET)—just ahead of the currently rumored timing for the next wave.

That sequencing is one reason the late-January reports have drawn attention: it suggests Amazon may be aligning workforce changes with planned milestones in its restructuring calendar.

The Wider Restructuring Backdrop

Separate from corporate layoffs, Amazon also announced it will close its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh physical stores, with closures slated for Feb. 1, 2026 (ET), except in California where stores would remain open longer to comply with state requirements. The company has said it intends to prioritize Whole Foods and grocery delivery while exploring new large-format retail concepts.

Those store decisions aren’t the same as corporate layoffs—but they contribute to the same overall narrative: Amazon is reshaping which bets it funds, which formats it scales, and where it believes long-term growth is most durable.

What Employees and Investors Will Watch Next

Until Amazon confirms details, the most meaningful signals will be operational rather than speculative. Expect attention on:

• Whether Amazon issues an internal memo outlining scope and affected teams

• Whether reductions come in a single wave or multiple smaller cuts

• How severance and transition support are structured in different countries

• Whether any future announcements connect layoffs to specific reorganizations (AWS, retail, video, or HR tech)

For now, the key point is this: reports describe a second major corporate layoff wave that could begin in late January 2026, designed to push Amazon closer to a roughly 30,000-role white-collar reduction target by mid-2026—an effort framed around efficiency, organizational simplification, and shifting priorities across the business.