Amazon announces AWS cloud services are back to normal after global outage
Amazon.com’s cloud services returned to normal operations on October 20, the company announced, following an internet outage that caused worldwide disruption to thousands of sites.
Amazon plans to cut thousands of corporate jobs starting October 28, according to multiple reports.
The impending layoffs represent the largest layoff in the company’s history, CNBC and Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources.
Up to 30,000 employees could be cut, according to Reuters, which first reported the impending job cuts on Monday afternoon (October 27). Retrenchments could impact the entire company, including departments such as human resources, devices, services and operations, among others.
Managers of the affected teams were notified of the layoffs and required to undergo training on communicating with staff, Reuters reported. According to estimates by the news agency, the job cuts will affect nearly 10% of the company’s approximately 350,000 employees.
The company has implemented planned layoffs, affecting more than 27,000 employees, various media reported.
USA TODAY reached out to Amazon but did not immediately receive a response.
Amazon repeats assaults under Jassy
Both media outlets said the layoffs were part of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s efforts to cut costs in the wake of the pandemic. In June, he suggested that artificial intelligence could accelerate cuts.
“There will be fewer people doing some of the jobs that are currently being done, and more people will be doing other types of jobs,” Jassy wrote in a memo to staff in June.
Forbes reported on October 14, citing unnamed sources, that Amazon is preparing to cut its human resources workforce by up to 15%. Financial news outlets reported that the job cuts were discussed separately from the normal staff reduction process.
The New York Times reported on October 21 that executives told Amazon’s board last year that robotic automation could allow the company to avoid adding employees in the United States. According to the Times, the automation drive could prevent up to 600,000 new jobs.
Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel told the Times that the documents reviewed for the report “did not represent the company’s overall hiring strategy.”
The reported layoffs come shortly after the tech giant was revealed to be one of the donors to President Donald Trump’s controversial White House ballroom. The White House did not say how much Amazon contributed to the now $300 million project.
This story has been updated with new information
