Amazon laid off 14,000 employees in October, with 40% of the layoffs affecting engineers. The company is transforming into a leaner organization focused on innovation.

Last month, Amazon made over 14,000 layoffs, affecting various segments, including engineering, cloud, advertising, and retail. Nearly 40% of the 4,700 layoffs reported in New York, California, New Jersey, and Washington targeted engineering roles, according to WARN documents. This aligns with a broader trend in the tech sector, where nearly 113,000 jobs have been eliminated in 2024.

CEO Andy Jassy aims to transform Amazon into a more efficient organization by reducing bureaucracy and management layers. The company is also reallocating resources towards artificial intelligence, although not all layoffs are attributed to this field. The gaming division has been particularly affected, with massive layoffs among designers and producers. Additionally, visual search and advertising teams have experienced significant cuts. These measures come amid an industry where AI is reducing the need for traditional developers.