Amazon’s Next Layoff Round Could Start January 27, Putting 16,000 Jobs At Risk

As Amazon speeds up its AI-first strategy, thousands of high-paying corporate roles may disappear, with employees fearing early notices and another large layoff wave starting later this month.

Amazon is trimming older support and program roles inside AWS.

Source : Amazon India

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Amazon plans significant job cuts starting January 27, 2026.
• Approximately 16,000 employees may face layoffs, hitting corporate roles.
• AI automation is driving reductions in HR and AWS support.

Amazon is once again in the news for job cuts. Reports say the company is preparing a fresh round of layoffs starting January 27, 2026. Around 16,000 employees may lose their jobs, taking the total cuts in recent months close to 30,000. While Amazon has not officially confirmed this, employees on platforms like Blind and Reddit claim internal hints are already being shared. Earlier this month, about 1,000 to 2,000 workers reportedly received WARN notices in the US. 

The new cuts are expected to hit high-paying corporate roles and could impact teams worldwide, including India.

Amazon Layoffs January 27: Which Teams May Be Hit

Unlike earlier pandemic-era cuts that focused on warehouses and retail, this time the focus is on corporate jobs. Reports suggest Amazon’s People Experience and Technology (PXT) team, which handles HR and internal operations, may see deep reductions.

The reason is simple. Amazon is moving fast toward automation. Many HR tasks like hiring, reviews, and internal tracking are now handled by AI tools. This means fewer people are needed for admin work.

Even Amazon Web Services (AWS) may not be spared. AWS is still growing, but its pace has slowed compared to rivals. So Amazon is trimming older support and program roles inside AWS. The money saved is likely to go into AI products and new data centres.

Amazon Layoffs January 27 Linked To AI Push

CEO Andy Jassy has been clear about his vision. He wants fewer layers of management and faster decisions. Over the last year, teams have been merged, roles removed, and workloads increased.

AI is a big part of this change. Tools now handle tasks that once needed full teams. From hiring to performance reviews, software is doing more of the work.

Employees say those on performance improvement plans may be informed early. Others may hear closer to the date.

For now, Amazon has not made any public statement. But if these reports are true, January 27 could mark one of the company’s biggest layoff waves yet. For workers, especially in corporate and tech roles, the coming weeks may be full of uncertainty.

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