Amazon CEO says layoffs will continue until next year
New York, Nov 17 (EFE).- Amazon.com, Inc. President and CEO Andy Jassy said in an internal memo on Thursday that layoffs at the company, which has a global workforce of more than 1.5 million and is one of the United States’ largest employers, will continue until next year.
The Seattle-based company began informing employees at different divisions this week that they would be let go, with the New York Times reporting that the plan is to eventually lay off a total of approximately 10,000 workers in corporate and technology jobs.
In a internal memo to which cable TV business news channel CNBC gained access, Jassy said the job cuts are the “most difficult decision” his team has made since he became chief executive officer a year and a half ago.
“It’s not lost on me or any of the leaders who make these decisions that these aren’t just roles we’re eliminating, but rather, people with emotions, ambitions, and responsibilities whose lives will be impacted,” he wrote.
Jassy said in the memo that the layoffs will continue until 2023 because the company is still in the middle of its annual operating planning review.
“We haven’t concluded yet exactly how many other roles will be impacted (we know that there will be reductions in our Stores and PXT – People, Experience, and Technology – organizations), but each leader will communicate to their respective teams when we have the details nailed down,” he added.
On Wednesday, Amazon Senior Vice President of Devices and Services David Limp told employees in an internal message that some workers would be laid off in that division.
Amazon is the latest technology company to lay off workers.
Earlier this month, Meta – the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger – announced plans to lay off 11,000 workers, of 13 percent of its workforce.
Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual and the new owner of Twitter, has eliminated nearly half of that social networking service’s workforce, or around 3,700 jobs.
In addition, ride-hailing company Lyft said it would cut 13 percent of its employees, or around 650 jobs; and payment processing platform Stripe said it would eliminate 14 percent of its workers, or approximately 1,100 jobs. EFE
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