A wave of uncertainty swept through Amazon’s US offices after the company laid off nearly 16,000 employees, triggering a flood of emotional reactions across social media. A spreadsheet listing affected departments circulated internally, highlighting the scale of the cuts.
For many impacted workers, the layoffs came as a personal blow. One female employee, who spent around 11 years at Amazon, shared her experience on LinkedIn after losing her job for the second time. In her post, she described how years of loyalty, promotions, and strong performance reviews did not protect her role.
She explained that she had worked for years to improve and streamline her team’s systems, only to see those same processes later automated. As AI-driven tools took over, her role slowly disappeared.
“I got laid off for the second time at Amazon,” she wrote, adding that she is now open to new opportunities, whether remote or in person.
She is one among close to 16,000 employees affected in Amazon’s latest round of job cuts, which impacted teams across multiple functions.
Debate grows over AI’s role in job losses
While many employees point to automation as the cause, others disagree. Nick Plumb, another long-serving Amazon employee, shared his perspective on X. After spending 8 years leading global AI projects and building systems used by senior leadership, he said his layoff had nothing to do with performance or technology.
“It wasn’t performance, and it wasn’t AI,” he said.
According to Plumb, companies are increasingly cutting experienced and higher-paid employees to reduce costs. He argued that AI often becomes a convenient explanation, while the real drivers are cost-cutting, global outsourcing, and limited worker protections.
Amazon cites restructuring and shifting priorities
Amazon has said the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring effort. In internal communication, leadership stated that roles were reduced after reviewing priorities and long-term plans. The company aims to reduce management layers, cut red tape, and increase ownership within teams.
Employees laid off in the US have been given 90 days to apply for other roles within Amazon. Those who are unable to secure a new position will receive severance pay, continued health benefits, and career transition support. Amazon also said it does not plan to announce large layoffs at regular intervals, even as teams continue to evolve.
As personal stories continue to surface online, they reflect a broader reality across the tech sector. Whether driven by AI automation or financial decisions, the message remains unsettling: even long-term performance and loyalty may no longer guarantee job security.
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