Amazon Music, as per Reuters, has notified employees from Latin America, North America, and Europe that their jobs have been eliminated, according to "people familiar with the matter."
This was later confirmed by an Amazon spokesperson stating that the company will continue to invest in Amazon Music and that the company has "been closely monitoring [their] organizational needs and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses.
Reuters reported, however, that in a review of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification sites, it was revealed that no mass layoff filings had been submitted recently in California, New York, or Washington state, the home states of Amazon, that are also among the largest employee centers.
The layoffs are the most recent in a string of layoffs that have impacted over 27,000 workers at the massive retail company over the previous year. Jobs at Amazon have been facing layoffs all year round, wherein the firm has been "quietly trimming jobs" last month, including those in communications for its Studios, Video, and Music departments.
Amazon's Recurring Layoffs
Business Today reported last October that the recent Amazon layoffs have also affected even its most loyal employees, particularly a worker who has rendered service for almost 12 years. He officially had his last day on September 30.
The employee reportedly expressed his grief at leaving his coworkers and satisfaction in his achievements throughout his tenure at Amazon. The former employee acknowledged that he was anxious about the uncertainty that awaited. He said, "The 4 Hour Work Week, for all its (many) flaws, correctly points out that people are more likely to stay in unfulfilling but stable situations than to accept the uncertainty that comes with change. I'm now being forced to change, which is at once frightening and exhilarating."
Last July, Amazon also reportedly laid off employees in its pharmaceutical sector due to the company's decision to reallocate resources. Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser emphasized that the Amazon Pharmacy Services team members were affected by the decision.
The same report states that it was announced in May that Amazon has fired 500 workers in India across various business units and departments, including support, human resources, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Last January, Andy Jassy announced in a blog post that after several meetings and discussions with various company leaders, the company decided to terminate roles in multiple units of Amazon wherein certain workers were even offered the opportunity to reduce their work hours voluntarily.
The blog post would later state that the laid-off employees will be given proper support with the company offering packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance coverage, and outside job placement assistance.
Layoffs Across Big Tech
Engadget reports that Amazon is not the only Big Tech company that has undergone layoffs, noting that Ubisoft Montreal and GM's Cruise have decreased their workforce this November. Ubisoft, from its Montreal headquarters, which is said to hold the most extensive in-house development team at the firm, saw the layoff of 98 employees.
The autonomous vehicle division of General Motors, Cruise, allegedly informed staff members in November that it intended to fire a number of workers.
First Post also reports that 275 workers of Microsoft were let go, on top of the 10,000 that were asked to depart earlier in the year. The company clarified in the report that the staff and organizational changes are an essential and ongoing component of managing the company.
