Amazon has begun mass layoffs impacting 16,000 corporate employees, with internal communications revealing AWS and retail divisions bearing the brunt. Teams involved in AI cloud services, data warehousing, and Prime subscriptions are among those affected. This move aligns with CEO Andy Jassy’s vision of operating like a “world’s largest startup,” emphasizing speed and ownership.

Amazon began notifying 16,000 corporate employees on Janauary 28 that their jobs have been eliminated. HR chief Beth Galetti’s company-wide memo spoke of “reducing layers and removing bureaucracy,” but conveniently sidestepped one crucial detail—which teams were actually getting the axe.Internal Slack messages and executive memos obtained by Business Insider now fill in those gaps, revealing that the cuts are sweeping through both the company’s prized cloud computing division and core retail operations. Many of the affected employees who posted to internal channels seeking job leads held software engineering roles.

AWS and retail teams among the hardest hit

According to Business Insider, affected teams span both Amazon’s cloud computing arm and its retail operations. Within Amazon Web Services, layoffs have touched employees working on Bedrock (the company’s AI cloud service), Redshift (the data warehouse platform), and the ProServe consulting division.On the retail side, the Prime subscription service and the last-mile Delivery Experience team have also seen cuts. Many of the employees who posted to internal Slack channels seeking job leads held software engineering roles.The layoffs are hitting workers across the US, UK, and India, with notifications going out on Wednesday morning. Those affected received emails informing them that their badge access had been immediately restricted—a detail that means some employees currently in Amazon offices needed security assistance to exit the building.

Employees get 90 days to find a new role—or else

Affected US-based employees will receive full pay and benefits for 90 days, during which they can apply for internal positions. Those who don’t land a new role—or choose not to look for one—will receive severance, outplacement services, and health insurance benefits.An internal FAQ obtained by Business Insider spells out additional details: employees must return their laptops via shipping boxes sent after their separation date, and have until February 13 to fill out a survey about retrieving personal belongings from their desks. Items not claimed will be donated or disposed of.

Amazon’s “world’s largest startup” ambitions

Internal memos from Amazon executives frame the cuts as necessary for the company to operate like the “world’s largest startup”—a phrase that has become CEO Andy Jassy‘s calling card.“That means doubling down on a culture of ownership, speed, and experimentation—which requires us to continue evolving how we’re structured,” wrote AWS VP Prasad Kalyanaraman in one such memo.This marks Amazon’s second mass layoff since October, when 14,000 roles were eliminated. The company employs over 1.5 million people globally, though its corporate workforce accounts for roughly 350,000 of that total.