Amazon has announced another round of corporate workforce reductions that will affect nearly 2,200 employees in Washington state, according to a filing with the Washington Employment Security Department released February 2. The cuts are part of a broader global reduction of approximately 16,000 corporate roles.
More than half of the affected positions are within Amazon’s core product and engineering organizations. Software development roles account for the largest share, along with engineering management, program management, and technical product positions. Additional roles span business intelligence, sales, marketing, human resources, design, and other support functions. Senior and principal level employees are also included.
Geographically, the majority of the reductions impact the Seattle area, with more than 1,400 employees affected, followed by more than 600 in Bellevue. Together with a previous round of layoffs announced in October, Amazon has reduced its corporate workforce in Washington state by more than 4,500 employees in less than a year.
Amazon leadership has described the changes as part of an effort to streamline operations by reducing management layers and increasing efficiency. Some of the job titles listed in the state filing reflect reductions in mid and senior management roles. Employees who secure internal transfers before their separation dates will not be laid off. Separations are scheduled to begin April 28 and extend through late June.
The announcement comes amid a broader pullback in the Seattle area technology sector, with other major employers also reducing headcount in recent months. Regional planning data show the Seattle area experienced a net job decline last year, the first since 2009.
In a separate action, Amazon is also laying off about 400 Washington employees tied to the closure of Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores nationwide. Those reductions are not part of the corporate layoffs.
