Amazon layoffs hit hundreds in retail; Seattle impact unclear
Amazon laid off fewer than 1,000 retail employees worldwide, though the impact on its Seattle workforce remains unclear. The company also announced a $1 billion investment in communities where it operates data centers and urged policymakers not to adopt moratoriums, citing concerns about energy, water and economic competitiveness.
Amazon laid off hundreds of employees in its retail division, affecting customer service, marketplace support and engineering roles in the United States, India and the United Kingdom. The company said the total was below 1,000, but it has not disclosed how many affected workers were in the Seattle area. The layoffs came during Amazon’s Oct. 6-7 Prime Day event.
Amazon is separately committing $1 billion over five years to education, workforce training, water preservation and other initiatives in communities where it operates data centers. Matt Garman, CEO of Amazon’s cloud computing arm, said the company has already spent more than $1 billion on similar community investments and will no longer use nondisclosure agreements with government agencies involved in its projects. Garman criticized proposed data center moratoriums and warned that concerns about electricity prices, water use and environmental impacts could slow the national buildout.