Amazon Layoffs: 100 Jobs Cut in Alexa and Kindle Teams Amid Efficiency Push
| 2025-05-15
Amazon cuts 100 jobs from devices division in latest corporate reshuffle.
Amazon has laid off around 100 employees from its Alexa and Kindle teams as part of a broader corporate restructuring aimed at improving efficiency.
Amazon has eliminated around 100 positions in its devices and services unit, affecting employees working on products such as the Alexa voice assistant and Kindle e-readers, as the company continues efforts to streamline operations.
The move, confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson on 14 May, follows a series of cost-cutting measures that have significantly reshaped the US-based technology giant’s workforce since 2022. The devices unit, which also oversees products such as Echo smart home devices and the Zoox autonomous vehicle project, is the latest to undergo workforce reductions.
‘Difficult decisions’ part of long-term restructuring
Kristy Schmidt, a spokesperson for Amazon, said the decision to cut jobs was part of a broader initiative to make the company’s programmes and teams “operate more efficiently” and align them more closely with product development goals.
“As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programmes operate more efficiently, and to better align with our product roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles,” Schmidt said. “We don’t make these decisions lightly, and we’re committed to supporting affected employees through their transitions.”
The specific departments affected within the devices and services unit were not disclosed. However, the unit plays a key role in Amazon’s consumer hardware strategy, overseeing major product lines such as Alexa, Kindle, Echo devices, and experimental technologies like the Zoox robotaxi.
Part of Amazon’s broader workforce reduction
The job cuts are the latest in a series of workforce reductions implemented under Amazon Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy. Since 2022, the company has slashed approximately 27,000 corporate roles—its largest restructuring to date.
These layoffs have taken place across a range of departments, including human resources, retail, and communications. In January 2025, Amazon reduced its communications team, citing a review aimed at improving speed, accountability, and proximity to customers.
Amazon employed approximately 1.56 million full-time and part-time workers globally as of March 2025, representing a 3% increase from the previous year. However, the vast majority of these roles are in fulfilment centres and delivery operations, rather than in corporate functions.
Industry trend amid tech sector adjustments
The latest round of cuts at Amazon follows similar moves by other major technology firms. On 13 May, Microsoft Corporation announced it was eliminating 6,000 jobs in a bid to flatten management structures and improve organisational agility.
Amazon’s restructuring also aligns with CEO Andy Jassy’s previous statements about the need to prioritise long-term strategic goals amid broader economic uncertainty. In earlier communications, Jassy acknowledged the company’s rapid expansion in recent years and said that reductions were necessary to focus on key customer-driven priorities.
In a message to staff in 2023, Jassy said: “If we do this work well, it will increase our teammates’ ability to move fast, clarify and invigorate their sense of ownership, drive decision-making closer to the front lines… and strengthen our organisations’ ability to make customers’ lives better and easier every day.”
A changing corporate landscape
Amazon, headquartered in Seattle, has been adjusting its business structure following a period of aggressive hiring during the pandemic, when demand for e-commerce and digital services surged. As market conditions have shifted, many technology companies are re-evaluating cost structures, product lines, and management layers.
The company continues to invest in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, but appears to be narrowing its focus to areas with clear growth potential. The decision to scale down staffing in certain legacy product divisions, such as Alexa and Kindle, reflects this strategic recalibration.
While Amazon has not indicated further layoffs at this stage, analysts suggest that the company is likely to continue reviewing operations to maintain competitiveness in a dynamic technology landscape.
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