BY COMFORT OGBONNA
Amazon confirmed on Tuesday that it has laid off employees within its robotics division, with at least 100 white-collar jobs affected, according to people familiar with the matter.
The latest layoffs add to a broader wave of job reductions at the technology and e-commerce giant, which has been restructuring its workforce in recent months. Earlier in January, the company cut about 16,000 jobs and signaled at the time that additional layoffs could follow as it continued reviewing its operations and priorities.
The division impacted by the latest cuts focuses on designing robotic systems and automated transport technologies used primarily in Amazon’s warehouse network. These systems play a key role in the company’s effort to automate tasks in its vast logistics operations, particularly inside fulfillment centers where robots help move packages, organize inventory and support human workers.
In a statement, Amazon said the changes were part of routine organizational reviews aimed at improving efficiency and innovation.
“We regularly review our organizations to make sure teams are best set up to innovate and deliver for our customers,” the company said, though it did not confirm the exact number of employees affected. The layoffs in the robotics unit were first reported by Business Insider.
The latest reductions follow a series of workforce cuts across the company over the past year. Beginning with a major round of layoffs in October that eliminated roughly 14,000 corporate roles, Amazon has now reduced about 30,000 white-collar positions in total.
Company executives have linked many of these job cuts to increased efficiency driven by advances in artificial intelligence as well as broader efforts to reshape internal operations and company culture. The reductions represent nearly 10% of Amazon’s white-collar workforce.
Despite the cuts in corporate roles, most of Amazon’s roughly 1.5 million global employees are hourly workers, many of whom operate in the company’s warehouses and logistics hubs known as fulfillment centers.
The restructuring also coincides with changes in some of Amazon’s robotics initiatives. Earlier this year, the company halted development of a robotic arm project known as Blue Jay. The system had been showcased during an event in October and featured multiple robotic arms capable of picking up several items at once.
The Blue Jay technology was designed to assist warehouse employees working in tighter spaces by improving the speed and efficiency of item handling. However, the project was paused as part of the company’s broader review of its robotics and automation programs.
Beyond the robotics division, Amazon has also trimmed smaller numbers of positions across several other departments over the past year. These include roles within its devices and services business, as well as teams responsible for books, podcasts and public relations.
The continued layoffs reflect a wider trend in the technology sector, where companies are increasingly investing in automation and artificial intelligence while reassessing staffing levels in corporate divisions.
As Amazon continues to refine its operations and technology strategy, analysts expect the company to keep prioritizing automation and AI-driven efficiency across its global logistics network.
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