Global events over the past few years have resulted in rampant inflation and widespread economic downturns, and it seems that tech giant Amazon isn't immune to these effects as it announces that it is poised to lay off over 18,000 employees right after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
In a blog post and memo, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says that the company has been evaluating workforce levels since November and finally reached a conclusion.
"Today, I wanted to share the outcome of these further reviews, which is the difficult decision to eliminate additional roles," Jassy says. "Between the reductions we made in November and the ones we’re sharing today, we plan to eliminate just over 18,000 roles. Several teams are impacted; however, the majority of role eliminations are in our Amazon Stores and PXT organizations."
The company will start to contact those who will be affected by the mass layoffs on January 18, but they have had to communicate the axings sooner than intended due to leaks. Jassy says that he is "working to support those who are affected and are providing packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support."
Jassy thanks Amazon employees impacted by the decision for their contributions at the company. "You have made a meaningful difference in a lot of customers’ lives. To those who will continue on the journey with us, I look forward to partnering with you to keep making life better and easier for customers every day and relentlessly inventing to do so."
Business Insider points out that the cuts are being made to "the largest number of workers in the company's history." This also comes at a time when tech companies are en-masse reducing size amidst dwindling budgets so that they can weather current economic disruptions.
As amiable as this notice might seem, we can't help but sympathise with the large swatches of individuals who will looking for work at what is both a tough time of year and a rocky economy.