Amazon’s latest layoffs hit 121 employees; India escapes job cuts

Amazon is planning another round of layoffs in the United States, with 121 employees in Washington state expected to lose their jobs from October, according to a regulatory filing. The move comes amid a broader restructuring programme that has already resulted in tens of thousands of job cuts across the company over the past year.

The latest reductions are set to affect workers in Seattle, Bellevue and Sumner, three locations in the Puget Sound region that form a key part of Amazon’s corporate footprint. There is currently no indication that the latest layoffs will affect employees in India.

The development highlights the continuing tension between cost management, organisational restructuring and Amazon’s growing investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure and services.

Permanent layoffs scheduled from October

According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing received by the Washington State Employment Security Department, the layoffs are classified as permanent.

The filing states that employee separations are expected to begin on 1 October 2026.

The notice does not specify which business units or departments will be affected. It notes that local Rapid Response and WorkSource teams will engage with impacted employees to support their transition.

The filing represents Amazon’s latest workforce reduction in a year marked by repeated restructuring announcements.

Part of a wider restructuring effort

The latest cuts follow several significant rounds of layoffs announced by Amazon over the past year.

Key developments include:

• Approximately 16,000 corporate jobs eliminated globally in January 2026
• 2,198 of those positions located in the Seattle area, according to state filings
• More than 1,400 jobs affected in Seattle
• Around 630 jobs affected in Bellevue
• Additional job reductions within parts of Amazon’s artificial general intelligence (AGI) organisation in July 2026
• 14,000 corporate positions cut in October 2025, representing roughly 4% of Amazon’s corporate workforce at the time

The latest filing suggests workforce adjustments remain an ongoing feature of Amazon’s operational strategy.

AI investments continue to reshape workforce planning

Amazon executives have repeatedly linked organisational changes to the company’s increasing use of artificial intelligence.

Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy has previously told employees that generative AI is expected to automate portions of white-collar work while creating demand for new technology-focused roles.

At the same time, Amazon has continued to expand spending on:

• AI infrastructure
• Foundation models
• Cloud-based AI services
• Advanced AI research initiatives

The company has maintained that restructuring efforts are aimed at aligning resources with evolving business priorities.

India workforce unaffected in latest round

While Amazon operates one of its largest global employee bases in India, there is no evidence that the current round of layoffs extends beyond the Washington state filing.

The WARN notice is limited to employees in Seattle, Bellevue and Sumner. No announcements have been made regarding workforce reductions in India as part of this latest action.

India remains a critical market for Amazon, supporting operations across technology, cloud services, customer support, operations and business functions.

Previous global restructuring exercises have affected multiple geographies and divisions. However, the current filing does not indicate any impact on Amazon’s Indian workforce.

Regional concerns persist

The continued layoffs have renewed concerns about the wider economic impact on Washington’s technology sector.

Amazon remains one of the region’s largest private employers. Previous workforce reductions affected teams across:

• Human resources
• Retail operations
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Prime Video
• Corporate functions

Economists and local businesses have previously warned that sustained job cuts could influence office occupancy rates, consumer spending and the pace of economic recovery in downtown Seattle.