Amazon cuts 100 jobs as it streamlines Alexa, hardware efforts
What's the story
Amazon has laid off around 100 employees from its devices and services division.
The division includes a wide range of products such as Alexa, Echo hardware, Ring video doorbells, and Zoox robotaxis.
Kristy Schmidt, an Amazon spokesperson, said the decision was part of their ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and align with their product roadmap.
Support
Commitment to support affected employees
Schmidt further stressed that these decisions are not taken lightly and reiterated Amazon's commitment to supporting the impacted employees through the transition. The announcement comes amid CEO Andy Jassy's wider cost-cutting strategy that has laid off around 27,000 employees since early 2022.
Restructuring
Restructuring efforts and industry trends
The devices and services organization also saw layoffs in 2022 and 2023.
As part of its return-to-office initiative, Amazon simplified its corporate structure last year by cutting down the number of managers to "remove layers and flatten organizations."
Jassy aimed to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by at least 15% by the end of Q1 this year.
Information
Microsoft fires 6,000 employees
Amazon's latest move follows a broader industry trend with other major tech firms like Microsoft also announcing significant job cuts. The Redmond-based company recently announced plans to cut around 6,000 jobs in an effort to streamline its management structure.