Amazon to Cut 16,000 Jobs as Seattle Braces for Economic Impact

SEATTLE — Amazon announced Tuesday it will eliminate approximately 16,000 corporate roles companywide, marking its largest round of layoffs since 2023 and extending a multiyear workforce contraction that has reshaped Seattle’s tech economy.

The cuts were disclosed in a blog post by Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, who said the changes reflect continued efforts to streamline teams and refocus resources.

“I want to let you know that we’re making additional organizational changes across Amazon that will impact some of our teammates,” Galetti wrote. “I recognize this is difficult news, which is why I’m sharing what’s happening and why.”

Most of the affected roles are based in the United States. Amazon said impacted employees will generally have 90 days to seek new positions within the company before layoffs take effect.

What Amazon Is Offering Affected Employees

Galetti said the company will again provide internal transition opportunities and support for workers whose roles are eliminated.

“The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we’re again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted,” she wrote. “That starts with offering most US-based employees 90 days to look for a new role internally.”

Employees who do not secure internal roles may receive severance and transition assistance, with details varying by location and employment status.

Galetti also pushed back on the idea that recurring layoffs represent a new norm for the company.

“Some of you might ask if this is the beginning of a new rhythm, where we announce broad reductions every few months. That’s not our plan,” she wrote. “But just as we always have, every team will continue to evaluate the ownership, speed, and capacity to invent for customers, and make adjustments as appropriate.”

A Long Pullback Since the Pandemic Boom

Amazon’s workforce surged during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic as e-commerce demand soared. That expansion reversed sharply beginning in 2022 as growth slowed and the company shifted toward efficiency and automation.

Since 2022, Amazon has cut an estimated 57,000 corporate jobs across multiple rounds. That includes roughly 27,000 positions eliminated in 2022 and 2023, about 14,000 announced in late 2025, and the 16,000 announced this week.

While Amazon continues to hire selectively, particularly in artificial intelligence and cloud services, the company has reduced headcount across many legacy corporate and administrative teams.

Why Seattle Feels the Impact More Than Most Cities

Amazon remains Seattle’s largest private employer, with tens of thousands of corporate workers in the region. Those jobs tend to pay well above the regional median, meaning layoffs can ripple quickly through the local economy.

Economists have long warned that job losses among high-income tech workers disproportionately affect restaurants, retail, childcare providers, housing demand, and downtown foot traffic. Even a few thousand local layoffs can translate into tens of millions of dollars in lost consumer spending annually.

Seattle’s downtown core, which has struggled to fully rebound from pandemic-era shifts to remote work, remains especially sensitive to changes in Amazon’s workforce footprint.

Broader Signals for Washington’s Tech Economy

Amazon’s announcement comes as the broader technology sector shows signs of cooling after years of aggressive hiring. Fewer startups are expanding at scale, and competition for senior-level roles has intensified across the region.

While Washington’s overall unemployment rate remains relatively low, labor market analysts note that displaced tech workers are taking longer to land comparable positions than in previous cycles.

For Seattle and the surrounding region, Amazon’s latest cuts reinforce a reality that has been unfolding for several years. The era of constant tech expansion has given way to a more volatile, efficiency-driven phase with real consequences for workers and the local economy.