Amazon Job Cuts: Some Say It's Not About Performance

Amazon has cut thousands of jobs. While the company says it's for efficiency and new technology like AI, some workers say it's not about their work quality. This raises questions about how the decisions were made.
By Newsroom | Business, Technology |

Recent job cuts at Amazon have ignited a firestorm of concern, with insiders and former employees questioning the stated reasons for the layoffs. While Amazon has cited a need for greater efficiency, a cultural reset, and the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), whispers from within the company suggest a more complex and potentially less meritocratic process at play. These accounts raise serious questions about the fairness and transparency of how thousands of individuals were selected for termination. The implications extend beyond the affected employees, casting a shadow of doubt over corporate accountability and the narrative surrounding large-scale workforce adjustments in the tech sector.

Timeline and Scale of Amazon's Workforce Adjustments

Amazon has undertaken a series of significant workforce reductions, impacting a substantial portion of its corporate staff.

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  • October 2025: Amazon announced plans to cut approximately 14,000 corporate jobs, citing cultural and efficiency shifts. (Article 4, 11)

  • Early November 2025: Reports indicated a second wave of layoffs could begin, targeting nearly 10% of the corporate workforce across divisions like AWS, retail, and Prime Video. (Article 2)

  • Mid-November 2025: Amazon confirmed plans to cut around 16,000 corporate roles globally, a second major round of cuts in three months. (Article 4)

  • Later November 2025: Further reports suggested thousands more corporate jobs were expected to be cut, potentially bringing the total to around 30,000 jobs since the initial wave. (Article 10)

  • Past Events: Smaller job reductions had been observed across various divisions, including devices and communications, prior to the larger rounds. (Article 11)

The company has framed these actions as part of a strategy to streamline operations, reduce bureaucracy, and transform into the "world's largest startup," with CEO Andy Jassy emphasizing the expected efficiencies from AI. (Article 4, 8, 9)

Evidence: Insider Accounts Challenge Official Narratives

Multiple sources and internal communications shed light on the processes and justifications behind Amazon's recent layoffs.

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  • Insider Claims of Non-Performance-Based Selection: An anonymous Amazon insider shared with Team Blind that "it was never about performance" and that employees were selected for job cuts based on criteria other than their work quality. This account suggests a system driven by financial considerations rather than individual merit. (Article 1, 6)

  • "Too Expensive" as a Metric: Some laid-off employees and industry observers have equated being "too expensive" with being "actually good at your job." This perspective implies that cost-saving measures, rather than performance issues, may have been the primary drivers for terminations. (Article 6)

  • AI as a Convenient Justification: While Amazon has frequently linked layoffs to the rise of AI and its transformative capabilities, some employees argue that AI is being used as a narrative to mask financially driven reductions. The departure of N Lee Plumb, Amazon's head of 'AI enablement', amidst these cuts has fueled this skepticism. (Article 7, 9)

  • Internal Messaging and Managerial Warnings: Internal messages indicated that managers were warned to prepare for job cuts, with some employees receiving early calendar invitations for meetings related to their termination. (Article 4, 14)

  • Employee Sentiment: Describing the cuts, one laid-off AWS employee characterized the process as "cold and soulless." (Article 13)

  • Company Statements on AI and Efficiency: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has spoken of expecting corporate workforce reductions due to efficiencies gained from AI, and executives have stated the aim is to be the "world's largest startup." (Article 2, 8, 11)

  • Support for Affected Employees: In instances like the October cuts, Amazon informed employees they could remain on the payroll for approximately three months while seeking new roles, and offered transition support, including severance and outplacement services. (Article 2, 6)

The AI Alibi: Efficiency or Excuse?

Amazon has consistently pointed to the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence as a significant factor influencing its workforce decisions. CEO Andy Jassy has publicly stated his expectation that AI will lead to a reduction in the corporate workforce due to the efficiencies it enables. (Article 2, 11) Executives have highlighted AI's role in transforming how companies deliver value. (Article 8)

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However, this narrative faces scrutiny. An internal source suggested that the AI justification could be a strategic maneuver to frame financially driven cuts as forward-thinking and adaptive. (Article 7) The observation that even individuals involved in AI enablement, like N Lee Plumb, were laid off adds another layer to this debate. (Article 7) Some experts posit that linking layoffs to AI can make them appear more strategic and less purely financial. (Article 7)

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Performance vs. Cost: Unpacking the Selection Criteria

A recurring theme in employee accounts is the disconnect between performance and selection for layoffs. An insider claimed that the criteria were "never about performance," implying that factors beyond an individual's work output were decisive. (Article 1, 6) This has led to the assertion that being "too expensive" might, in fact, signal being a highly effective employee. (Article 6)

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Conversely, Amazon has historically focused on efficiency and streamlining operations. The company has stated its aim to reduce bureaucracy and foster a "cultural reset," with the ultimate goal of becoming the "world's largest startup." (Article 4, 8, 10) This strategic direction, coupled with a post-pandemic slowdown in growth, suggests that broader organizational goals may have superseded individual performance metrics in some selection processes. (Article 11, 14)

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The Broader Job Market Context

While Amazon's layoffs are substantial, analyses suggest they do not, in isolation, indicate a severe downturn in the overall job market. According to one expert, it would take a cumulative impact of approximately 20 Amazon-sized layoff announcements in a month to reach a level considered truly alarming. (Article 5) This indicates that, despite the significant impact on Amazon's workforce, the broader US employment landscape, characterized by a general "low-hire, low-fire" trend, remains relatively stable in comparison. (Article 5)

Expert Analysis: Strategic Restructuring or Talent Disruption?

Analysts and former employees offer varied interpretations of Amazon's actions. The consistent mention of AI and efficiency by the company leadership points towards a strategic effort to align its workforce with future technological advancements and operational goals. (Article 2, 8, 11)

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However, the insider claims challenge this interpretation, suggesting that financial considerations might be the primary, albeit unstated, driver. (Article 1, 6) This raises a critical question: Is Amazon undergoing a necessary, albeit difficult, strategic restructuring to remain competitive in an evolving tech landscape, or is it making cuts based on cost-saving that may inadvertently impact valuable talent? The sentiment expressed by some as the cuts being "cold and soulless" further suggests a disconnect between the company's stated objectives and the human impact of these decisions. (Article 13)

Conclusion: Unresolved Questions Regarding Amazon's Layoffs

Amazon's extensive workforce reductions have introduced significant discourse regarding the underlying reasons and selection processes. While the company cites efficiency, cultural adjustments, and the transformative potential of AI, internal accounts challenge the performance-based narrative, hinting at cost-saving measures as a more influential factor. (Article 1, 6, 7) The extensive scale of these layoffs, impacting thousands across various divisions, underscores a significant corporate shift. (Article 2, 4, 10)

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The pervasive integration of AI as a justification for job cuts, while potentially reflecting genuine strategic shifts, also faces skepticism. (Article 7, 9) This leads to a critical point of examination: how transparent and equitable are the processes by which large tech companies like Amazon implement such significant workforce changes? The employee experiences of feeling disregarded and the perception of a "cold and soulless" process highlight the human cost of these corporate decisions. (Article 13)

Further investigation into the specific metrics used for selection, beyond the broad justifications provided by Amazon, is warranted to fully understand the dynamics at play. The contrasting perspectives necessitate a continued focus on employee welfare and corporate transparency in future workforce adjustments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is Amazon cutting jobs?
Amazon says it's to be more efficient, make changes, and use new AI tools.
Q: Are the job cuts about bad performance?
Some workers say it's not about performance. They think other reasons, like saving money, might be why people were chosen.
Q: Is AI causing the job cuts?
Amazon says AI is helping them work better, which means fewer people might be needed. But some people wonder if AI is just an excuse for cuts.
Q: How many jobs has Amazon cut?
Amazon has cut many thousands of jobs from its corporate teams.