Amazon(US:AMZN) Feng Huang Wang·2026-01-28 22:30Group 1 - Amazon announced a second round of layoffs, cutting 16,000 employees, which represents about 9% of its total workforce, following a previous layoff of 14,000 employees three months earlier [1][2] - The layoffs are part of a strategy to restructure the organization to adapt to the competitive pace of the AI era, with CEO Andy Jassy aiming to transform Amazon into "the world's largest startup" [1] - The company is reducing management layers, increasing accountability, and eliminating bureaucracy to enhance decision-making speed, although it is emphasized that such large-scale layoffs will not become the "new normal" [1][2] Group 2 - The layoffs are closely linked to Amazon's aggressive investment in artificial intelligence, with Jassy indicating that many existing jobs will be replaced as generative AI and AI agents become more prevalent [2] - Affected employees will receive a 90-day internal transfer buffer period, and if they do not find new positions, they will receive severance pay and related benefits [2] - Alongside the layoffs, Amazon is also scaling back its physical retail operations by closing Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go grocery businesses, focusing instead on the Whole Foods brand to concentrate resources against competitors like Microsoft and Google in the AI computing and large model sectors [2]