Amazon is laying off 2,198 employees in Washington state as part of its recent corporate workforce reduction. The layoffs, which are part of a broader plan to eliminate 16,000 positions globally, will significantly impact the company's product and engineering teams.
According to a filing with the Washington State Employment Security Department, software development roles will be most affected, with engineering management, program management, and technical product roles also experiencing significant cuts. More than half of the total layoffs will come from Amazon's core product and engineering organizations. The remaining affected positions span various departments, including business intelligence, sales, marketing, infrastructure, QA, HR, and design. Senior- and principal-level employees are also among those impacted.
The majority of the job cuts, over 1,400, will occur in Seattle, the location of Amazon's headquarters. Over 600 employees in Bellevue, where Amazon has been expanding its office presence, will also be affected. Additionally, 116 remote workers residing in Washington state and 30 corporate employees in Redmond are included in the layoff.
The layoffs are expected to commence on April 28, 2026, and will occur on several dates, including May 26, May 28, and June 29. Affected employees will receive a 90-day notice period before their scheduled separation, and the job cuts are permanent unless an employee secures an internal transfer before their separation date.
Amazon's senior vice president of people experience and technology, Beth Galetti, stated that the company is "reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy". This aligns with the specific job titles included in the Washington state filing, particularly within the company's technical teams. The company is aiming to create a leaner organizational structure that enables faster decision-making and improved efficiency.
These layoffs follow a previous workforce reduction in October 2025, when Amazon laid off 14,000 employees globally and 2,303 employees in Washington state. In total, Amazon has laid off more than 4,500 corporate workers in Washington state in less than a year. The previous cuts also heavily impacted software engineers but focused more on corporate support and commercial functions, such as legal, tax, and ad sales. The October cuts also affected Amazon's gaming division, while the current round is more focused on the core technology organization.
The recent job cuts at Amazon reflect a broader trend among Big Tech companies to control costs after a period of rapid growth. These companies are balancing investments in areas like artificial intelligence with slower growth in their core businesses, leading to increased scrutiny of corporate headcounts. While continuing to reduce its workforce, Amazon has stated it will continue to hire and invest in key strategic areas.
