Amazon is set to reduce its workforce by 2,198 employees in Washington as part of a broader effort to downsize its corporate staff, according to a filing with the state Employment Security Department. This decision follows a global layoff plan affecting 16,000 corporate positions announced last week, marking a significant shift for the company.
The layoffs will predominantly affect software development roles, with engineering management, program management, and technical product positions also facing cuts. Approximately 1,400 workers in Seattle and over 600 in Bellevue will be impacted, as Amazon continues to expand its presence in the region.
This latest round of layoffs follows a previous cut in October, where 2,303 employees in Washington were let go, bringing the total number of corporate layoffs in the state to over 4,500 within a year. A memo from Amazon’s senior vice president outlined the company’s intent to streamline operations by “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.”