Amazon’s next restructuring phase to cut 470 jobs: Report

Amazon is set to cut 470 jobs in Luxembourg, more than 10% of its workforce in the country, according to Luxembourg’s two largest trade unions, escalating uncertainty over how the company’s global restructuring will affect one of its key European hubs.

The unions’ announcement follows weeks of speculation after broadcaster RTL first reported the same figure in November. At the time, union officials told the Luxembourg Times they could not verify the number. The latest statement from the OGBL and LCGB now places a concrete figure on the local impact of Amazon’s global downsizing.

Amazon announced in October that it would eliminate around 14,000 corporate roles worldwide as part of a wider reorganisation, but it has repeatedly declined to confirm how many jobs are at risk in Luxembourg. When contacted this week, Amazon reiterated a statement issued on Friday, saying only that it had shared information with government authorities and would begin a formal consultation process with employee representatives on 1 December.

The unions described both the scale and timing of the planned redundancies as unprecedented. They criticised Amazon for communicating the cuts by email shortly after meeting Labour Minister Georges Mischo to discuss the potential for a job protection plan. In a strongly worded joint statement, they said the decision “prioritises profits over the livelihoods of hundreds of workers” and leaves families facing heightened uncertainty in a tightening job market.

Luxembourg’s official statistics agency, Statec, reported that Amazon employed 4,370 people in the country as of 1 January, making it one of the Grand Duchy’s biggest private-sector employers. A reduction of 470 positions would represent one of the largest individual corporate layoff announcements in recent years in Luxembourg.

Amazon has said it intends to maintain “constructive dialogue” with staff representatives during the consultation period and emphasised that discussions would prioritise employees and provide support during the transition. Internal messages seen by the Luxembourg Times indicate that staff delegations have begun outlining the redundancy procedures required under Luxembourg labour law.

The coming weeks will determine whether Amazon revises the scale of its planned cuts or whether additional mitigation measures emerge from talks with unions and government officials. For now, the unions’ disclosure places fresh scrutiny on how global restructuring decisions by large technology firms ripple through smaller labour markets and test local social protections.