Amazon confirms 16,000 job cuts after internal email sent in error

US tech giant Amazon has confirmed it will lay off about 16,000 employees, hours after an internal email detailing the cuts was mistakenly sent to staff.

The email, seen by the BBC, was circulated late Tuesday and referred to job losses affecting employees in the United States, Canada and Costa Rica as part of efforts to streamline operations and strengthen the company. The message was quickly withdrawn, suggesting it had been shared accidentally.

Amazon formally announced the job reductions early Wednesday, saying the move is aimed at cutting bureaucracy and improving efficiency.

Beth Galetti, Amazon’s senior vice president of people experience and technology, said the company was not planning frequent, large-scale layoffs, referring to the 14,000 corporate job cuts announced in October. She noted that while many teams completed restructuring last year, others finalised their changes only recently.

Amazon employs about 1.5 million people worldwide, including roughly 350,000 in corporate roles. The company has not specified which divisions or countries will be most affected by the latest layoffs, reports BBC.

The accidental email, reportedly linked to an internal project codenamed “Project Dawn,” outlined Amazon’s ongoing effort to reduce management layers, increase accountability and move faster to meet customer needs. It acknowledged the difficulty of the decisions while positioning the changes as necessary for future growth.

Current and former employees said the layoffs had been anticipated for weeks, with expectations that total job cuts could reach around 30,000 through multiple rounds extending into the coming months. Affected workers were encouraged to apply for other openings within Amazon, though opportunities were limited, while severance packages were offered based on tenure.

Since founder Jeff Bezos stepped down as chief executive four years ago, his successor Andy Jassy has overseen several rounds of cost-cutting and introduced a stricter workplace culture, including a mandatory five-day office workweek. Amazon has also intensified efforts to curb expenses across its operations.

Earlier this week, the company announced plans to shut its remaining Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go grocery stores while expanding its Whole Foods Market business.