Amazon employees receive early-morning texts and emails about job cuts; 250 affected

Amazon has reportedly laid off up to 250 employees across its devices and services divisions, with affected workers informed through text messages and emails sent early Wednesday morning, according to Reuters. The latest cuts come weeks after the company introduced new Kindle e-readers and tablet computers.

Amazon confirmed the job reductions in response to Reuters’ queries, describing them as a difficult decision intended to improve operational efficiency and align staffing with its product roadmap.

The company has not publicly disclosed a detailed breakdown of the affected roles. However, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that no more than 250 employees were affected, primarily in software development.

What Amazon told employees

According to Reuters, employees received messages about the layoffs early Wednesday. One message reviewed by the news agency came from Cherie Robinson, a human resources vice president in Amazon’s devices and services division.

Robinson said the company had conducted “a thorough review of our structure”, which resulted in the decision to eliminate certain positions.

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the reductions, telling Reuters: “We've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles.”

The spokesperson added that the changes would help the company “operate more efficiently and better align with our product roadmap”.

The reported cuts affect the devices and services business, although the precise distribution of job losses across individual teams has not been disclosed.

Fresh cuts follow earlier Amazon layoffs

The latest reductions follow another round of job cuts in Amazon’s core retail division earlier in October. The company reportedly eliminated around 1,000 positions in the business operating its main e-commerce platform.

The broader workforce restructuring follows Amazon’s announcement in January that it would eliminate 16,000 jobs across the company.

According to Reuters, employees in the United States, India and the United Kingdom were among those affected by the earlier retail cuts. Questions also emerged over whether workers in Mexico and other European markets had been impacted.

The latest announcement adds to the continuing changes across Amazon’s workforce as the company reviews staffing and business priorities across different divisions.

Layoffs coincide with new product announcements

The timing of the latest cuts has drawn attention because Amazon continues to introduce products across its devices and services portfolio.

On Wednesday, the company announced a new Alexa-powered alarm clock and photo frame, even as employees in the division faced job reductions.

The reported layoffs also follow the recent launch of new Kindle e-readers and tablet computers. However, the information cited by Reuters does not establish a direct connection between these product launches and the decision to reduce headcount.

Amazon’s stated rationale centres on operational efficiency and aligning its workforce with its product roadmap, rather than any publicly disclosed cancellation of specific products.

Amazon’s next earnings update in focus

Amazon is scheduled to report its third-quarter financial results after the market closes on Thursday, according to the report. The results will provide an update on the company’s financial performance following the latest workforce changes.

The extent of the restructuring across individual business units remains unclear. Amazon has not provided a detailed public account of the latest cuts, including a country-wise breakdown or information about replacement hiring.

The latest reductions highlight the continued changes within Amazon’s workforce as it reassesses organisational structures and operational priorities across its businesses.