Amazon lays off employees via text messages
Amazon just let thousands of employees go—by sending early morning text messages. Many of the impacted US employees worked as retail managers.
Affected employees were told to check their emails or contact the help desk for more details.
This move is part of Amazon's plan to cut 14,000 corporate jobs and lean into artificial intelligence to boost efficiency.
HR chief explains the AI-driven changes
Beth Galetti, Amazon's HR chief, says everyone affected will get full pay and benefits for 90 days, plus a severance package.
She explained that even though Amazon is doing well, rapid advances in AI are driving these changes.
Since the pandemic, Amazon has been tightening costs and streamlining teams—a trend we're seeing across tech as companies like Microsoft and Meta also make cuts due to automation.