Amazon layoffs 2026: Tech and leadership roles cut as company trims layers at Washington HQ

Amazon has launched another round of corporate layoffs in 2026, impacting 2,198 employees in Washington state, according to a newly filed WARN notice.

The cuts are part of a broader global workforce reduction that the company has said will affect nearly 16,000 corporate roles worldwide. The Seattle region—Amazon’s largest corporate base—accounts for the majority of the job losses, signalling a deep restructuring across core product and engineering teams.

Roles most affected

Software development positions form the largest share of the layoffs, the filing shows. Significant reductions have also been made in engineering management, programme management, and technical product roles.

More than half of the impacted employees belong to Amazon’s product and engineering divisions. The remaining cuts span business intelligence, marketing, sales, infrastructure, quality assurance, human resources, and design teams.

The layoffs extend well into senior ranks. Several Manager III, Senior Manager, and principal-level roles have been eliminated, indicating a deliberate effort to flatten management layers alongside overall headcount reduction.

Geographic concentration

Over 1,400 of the affected roles are based in Seattle, while more than 600 are located in Bellevue, another major Amazon office hub. Smaller numbers of layoffs are spread across other locations in Washington state.

According to the WARN notice, employee separations will begin on April 28, 2026, and continue through late June. Workers who secure alternative internal roles before their scheduled separation dates will not be laid off.

Company rationale

In an internal communication, Amazon leadership said the changes are aimed at simplifying the organisation, reducing internal complexity, and giving teams greater ownership. The company added that hiring will continue in select priority areas aligned with its long-term strategy.

Part of a broader downsizing cycle

This round of cuts follows the elimination of about 14,000 corporate roles in October 2025, adding to large-scale layoffs carried out in 2022 and 2023. Collectively, these reductions mark the most prolonged and extensive corporate downsizing phase in Amazon’s history.

The latest layoffs suggest that even core technology and leadership roles are being reshaped as Amazon recalibrates its cost structure and operating model amid a more cautious global tech environment.