Amazon Studios, Amazon Prime Video, and Amazon Music Communication Departments Witness Job Reductions, Affecting Less Than 1% of Global Communications Team
Amazon has recently announced job cuts within its communication departments, impacting Amazon Studios, Amazon Prime Video, and Amazon Music divisions. These layoffs reportedly affect approximately 5 percent of the workforce in these communication divisions, which represents less than 1 percent of Amazon’s global communications team.
As reported by Deadline, these layoffs are currently underway in Amazon’s communication divisions, spanning both domestic and international locations. The company has assured that affected employees will receive their regular pay and benefits for a 60-day period. Additionally, those laid off will be eligible for severance packages, transitional benefits, and job placement assistance.
Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser explained the decision, stating, “We regularly review the structure of our teams and make adjustments based on the needs of the business, and following a recent review, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles on our communications team. We’re grateful to these employees for their contributions, and we’re focused on supporting them in their next steps.”
This reduction in Amazon’s workforce follows previous layoffs that saw the elimination of 18,000 positions between November 2022 and January 2023. The company has continued to streamline its operations as part of cost-cutting efforts.
Amazon’s cost-saving initiatives have resulted in significant changes. In response to the tech industry’s contraction, Amazon has consistently downsized over the past year. In March, the company announced plans to cut an additional 9,000 positions, with a particular focus on areas like cloud computing, human resources, advertising, and Twitch live-streaming services.
In April, approximately 100 employees from Amazon Studios and Prime Video, out of a staff of 7,000, were let go as part of these cost-cutting measures. The discontinuation of the live audio service, Amp, was also confirmed.
Furthermore, in July, Amazon disclosed layoffs within its Fresh Grocery stores during a restructuring process. This involved eliminating the “zone lead” role in its in-store staff and operations model across stores in eight states and Washington, D.C. Affected employees had the option to explore other roles within the company or accept severance packages. Earlier in the year, Amazon had also announced store closures for some Fresh and Go stores as part of its cost-cutting strategy.
In an annual letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy acknowledged that laying off 27,000 employees was a challenging decision but emphasized its long-term benefits for the company. He stated, “We will work hard to spend wisely and maintain our lean culture. We understand the importance of continually reinforcing a cost-conscious culture, particularly in a business incurring net losses. At this stage, we choose to prioritize growth because we believe that scale is central to achieving the potential of our business model.
