Amazon Slashes Jobs In Washington – But Says It's Not Part Of 14,000 Layoffs

Amazon restructuring continues with Washington job cuts outside global layoff plan

Amazon cuts more jobs in Washington as tech giant separates move from 14,000 Layoffs. AFP News

Amazon has once again made unfortunate job cuts announcement with fresh layoffs in Washington state, leading to worry among locals and workers alike. In a new filing with the Washington state government, the global technology and e-commerce giant confirmed it will eliminate further 84 positions across its offices in the state.

However, the company has very clearly stressed that this new round of cuts is separate from the much larger workforce reductions it announced globally earlier this year. The clarification has obviously done little to soften the blow for those directly affected, nor for those who see these measures as part of a bigger layoff trend in the tech industry.

Who is Amazon Laying Off in Washington?

Unfortunately, according to a filing submitted under Washington's Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, Amazon will cut 84 jobs between February and March 2026 in its Seattle and Bellevue office locations, as per reports, along with a handful of remote roles for employees based elsewhere in the state.

The filing reportedly details that affected roles come from a range of functions, including software development engineers, programme managers, recruiters, human resources specialists and user experience designers. Employees will be given at least 89 days' notice before their positions will be eliminated.

Moreover, Amazon has very clearly said that these cuts are part of what it calls a 'routine process' of reviewing organisational needs at the level of individual business units, instead of a continuation of the 14,000 jobs global layoff it revealed in October 2025.

At that time, the company announced its largest workforce reduction in years, shocking the entire industry and affecting corporate roles around the world as it sought to streamline operations. Furthermore, those giant layoffs comprised a huge retraction of staff, especially among engineering and management functions.

Now, the company spokesperson said the latest Washington cuts are unrelated to the earlier, larger decision of job losses. They stressed that each business within Amazon routinely assesses its structure and may make adjustments when necessary as part of ordinary course planning.

The Worrying Layoff Spree in the Tech Industry

Even though Amazon is positioning these recent cuts as different from the bigger layoffs, they come out when the technology sector is bamboozled with how to balance growth and efficiency. In the United States and beyond, companies are reporting mixed financial results and slower growth in consumer spending, not least around artificial intelligence and automation.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has reportedly said that advancing the use of AI tools could change how work is done and lead to fewer roles performing certain tasks. Despite this, senior leaders such as Amazon India's Amit Agarwal have stated that the company's workforce reshaping is not driven solely by automation, but instead by a plan to simplify internal processes and reduce layers of management.

The technology industry as a whole has seen many giant employers announce job cuts over the past year, showing that workforce restructuring is not unique to Amazon. A Business Insider list of 2025 layoffs shows other major companies, including Meta, IBM and Verizon, reducing staff levels as a way to respond to changing market conditions. This tragically shows the pressures on tech businesses to control costs while investing in future growth areas such as cloud computing, AI, and new customer services.