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fliptop [soylentnews.org] writes:

Amazon.com Inc. is laying off more than 18,000 employees [yahoo.com] — the biggest reduction in its history — in the latest sign that a tech-industry slump is deepening:

Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy announced the cuts, which represent about 1% of Amazon’s employees, in a memo to staff Wednesday, saying it followed the company’s annual planning process.

The eliminations began last year and were previously expected to affect about 10,000 people. The move is concentrated in the firm’s corporate ranks, mostly Amazon’s retail division and human resources functions, like recruiting.

[...] The first wave of cuts landed heaviest on Amazon’s Devices and Services group, which builds the Alexa digital assistant and Echo smart speaker, among other products. The group’s chief told Bloomberg last month that layoffs in the unit totaled less than 2,000 people, and that Amazon remained committed to the voice assistant.

Previously:

• Google Employees Brace for a Cost-Cutting Drive as Anxiety Mounts [soylentnews.org]
• Amazon Will Reportedly Lay Off 10,000 Employees [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission