E-commerce and technology giant Amazon has confirmed a substantial reduction of its white-collar workforce, announcing that an estimated 14,000 corporate roles will be eliminated globally.

The cuts were communicated to staff by Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology, and are described as a necessary move to streamline operations and re-prioritise resources, particularly toward high-growth areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI). The action follows a period of aggressive hiring across the technology sector that saw Amazon’s total workforce swell significantly during the pandemic years.

The reductions, which affect multiple divisions including Human Resources, Devices and Services, and Operations, were officially defined in the memo as an “overall reduction in our corporate workforce of approximately 14,000 roles.”

Galetti framed the move as a strategic effort to create a more agile organisation. In the memo, she explained: “The reductions we’re sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we’re investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers’ current and future needs.”

The company’s focus on technological shifts, especially AI, was a central justification for the efficiency drive. “This generation of AI is the most transformative technology we’ve seen since the Internet,” Galetti stated, adding a note of urgency to the firm’s strategic pivot: “What we need to remember is that the world is changing quickly.”

Amazon, which has a global workforce of approximately 1.55 million, confirmed that it is actively assisting those affected by the decision. The memo stated the company is “working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted,” offering most employees a 90-day period to seek alternative internal roles, along with comprehensive transition support that includes severance pay and benefits.