Business

Amazon reportedly cuts some Boston-based staff in widespread layoffs

The e-commerce giant is expected to cut about 10,000 workers in all.

By Abby Patkin

November 16, 2022

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email
• 3

Amazon has reportedly laid off some of its Boston-based staff as part of widespread job cuts, just months after welcoming thousands of employees to its new Boston Tech Hub.

The e-commerce giant is expected to cut about 10,000 workers in all, and lay-offs began Tuesday, according to The Washington Post. 

“As part of our annual operating planning review process, we always look at each of our businesses and what we believe we should change,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement provided to Boston.com. 

“As we’ve gone through this, given the current macro-economic environment (as well as several years of rapid hiring), some teams are making adjustments, which in some cases means certain roles are no longer necessary,” Nantel said. “We don’t take these decisions lightly, and we are working to support any employees who may be affected.”

Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser noted that the impacted roles are in corporate and tech; roles in Amazon’s operations network — which includes the company’s fulfillment centers — are not included. 

Several employees were laid off from Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant team, with layoffs occurring in Boston, Seattle, Vancouver, and the Bay Area, according to internal Slack message screenshots provided to the Post. 

Glasser did not say how many Boston-based employees were impacted. 

In a message to his team Wednesday, Dave Limp, Amazon’s senior vice president of devices and services, said the organization recently decided to consolidate some teams and programs, rendering some positions unnecessary. 

“We notified impacted employees yesterday, and will continue to work closely with each individual to provide support, including assisting in finding new roles,” Limp said.

In cases where employees cannot find a new position within Amazon, the company will offer a package that includes a separation payment, transitional benefits, and external job placement support, according to Limp.

“While I know this news is tough to digest, I do want to emphasize that the Devices & Services organization remains an important area of investment for Amazon, and we will continue to invent on behalf of our customers,” he said.

Amazon’s layoffs follow similar job cuts from Big Tech peers Twitter and Meta, the parent company of Facebook. 

The Massachusetts technology sector has benefitted over the past decade as West Coast tech giants expanded operations, and economic pressure on these companies could lead to more local job losses, The Boston Globe reported last week. 

“It’s the first time in over a decade that these Big Tech firms are losing momentum,” Mohamad Ali, chief executive of Needham-based tech industry research firm IDG, told the Globe. “This is a macroeconomic issue and Boston is seeing the effects.”