Amazon inadvertently sent an email to employees confirming a new round of layoffs in its cloud computing unit, revealing plans for job cuts that were expected to be announced later this week. The accidental disclosure occurred when a draft email from Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president at Amazon Web Services, was included in a calendar invitation and sent to multiple staffers. The email, which referenced ‘organizational changes’ and ‘Project Dawn,’ confirmed layoffs affecting employees in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica, and was quickly canceled but not before being seen by workers.
This event follows Amazon’s announcement in late October of 14,000 corporate layoffs, with indications that further reductions would continue into 2026. Employees had anticipated additional cuts, with some estimates suggesting a total of around 30,000 roles could be eliminated by the end of May, as the company seeks to streamline operations and reduce management layers.
In the email, Aubrey stated that changes like these are hard on everyone and are made thoughtfully to position AWS for future success. CEO Andy Jassy has emphasized the need to reduce bureaucracy and leverage artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, predicting that AI would shrink corporate staff in the coming years.
Affected employees are being offered severance pay based on their tenure and the option to reapply for limited open positions within Amazon. The layoffs add to a challenging work environment, exacerbated by Amazon’s recent policy mandating full-time in-office work, one of the strictest among major tech firms.
Cost-cutting measures extend beyond layoffs, including monitoring corporate mobile phone use to limit reimbursements, as reported by Business Insider. These efforts reflect broader attempts to tighten expenses and adapt to economic pressures.
The layoffs at Amazon are part of a wider trend in the tech industry, where companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft have cut tens of thousands of jobs since 2022. According to Layoffs.fyi, an estimated 700,000 tech workers have been laid off over the past four years, with Meta and Pinterest announcing further cuts this year.
Under Jassy’s leadership since succeeding Jeff Bezos four years ago, Amazon has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Earlier on Tuesday, the company announced it would close its Amazon Fresh and Go stores to prioritize investments in Whole Foods Market and online grocery delivery, signaling strategic adjustments in its business portfolio.
Looking ahead, Amazon is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings on February 5, which may provide further context on the company’s financial trajectory and the impact of these layoffs. The accidental email leak has intensified employee uncertainty and underscores the delicate balance tech giants must strike between innovation, cost management, and workforce stability in an evolving global economy.
