SEATTLE, WA – Amazon announced Tuesday that it will eliminate approximately 16,000 positions as part of ongoing efforts to streamline the company’s operations and reduce bureaucracy.

The announcement came in a message to employees from Beth Galetti, Senior Vice President of People Experience and Technology at Amazon. Galetti said the reductions follow earlier organizational changes completed last October and are aimed at strengthening ownership, speeding decision-making, and simplifying management layers.

Employees affected by the reductions will have opportunities to transition to other roles within Amazon. U.S.-based staff will generally have 90 days to apply for open positions internally. For those who cannot or choose not to find a new role, Amazon will provide support including severance pay, outplacement services, and continued health insurance benefits where applicable.

Galetti emphasized that while the cuts affect some teams, Amazon continues to hire and invest in strategic areas critical to the company’s future growth. She said the company is not planning regular rounds of layoffs, but teams will continue to evaluate resources and responsibilities as part of ongoing organizational adjustments.

“This is difficult news, and we are committed to supporting our teammates through this transition,” Galetti said in her message. “We remain focused on delivering for our customers and building for the future in a rapidly changing world.”